Acknowledgments

Thank you to the people who have been closest and most nurturing to me in the heavy four-year process of creating this book:

My papa Russ, Jack Hirschman, Bucky Sinister, Rob Sturma, Jessica Townsend, Buddy Wakefield, DEDLY Eddie, Keeli Shaw, Brianne Gates, Megadith, Ross and Heidi, April Jones, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Harris Hartman, Gideon Yago, Stephen Latty, Kristin Taylor, Mercy Audiss, Tiffany Huff, Shawnee Penkacik and everyone at Amtam.com, Rebelasylum.com and Manic D Press; my marathon poetry partner, Derrick Brown, who is a better friend then a looker; Bob Holman and everyone at the Bowery Poetry Club; Beau Sia, for the numerous ways in which you are a caretaker; and Jeffrey McDaniel, for the friendship and the extra pair of eyes.

Special thanks to the following women who are and have been the very guts that I follow: My mama Bonnie, Alla Plotkin, Jillian Fowkes, Cari Ross, Bonnie Bernstein, Michelle Bohan, Leanne Coronel, Jennifer Joseph, Tilda Swinton, Mindy Nettifee.

And that one chick, David Cross. Of course.