A special thanks to:
Erik Dominguez, coach of Desert Vista High School’s Thunder Speech, Theater and Debate Company. I was fortunate to learn from and observe the best. (As of this writing in 2010, DV has won seven consecutive state championships!)
Bill Andrew, cofounder of the Summit School of Ahwatukee, who agreed to answer a few questions and ended up answering a few hundred.
My family and friends, including Sue, my sounding board; Daphne, who read two years of rough drafts; Dorothy, who had answers for all my odd questions; and Kyle, for reading each chapter as I wrote it and asking for more.
A heartfelt thanks to my agent, Caryn Wiseman, for seeing the potential in a first page. And to my editor, Stacy Cantor Abrams, for her insight and care in bringing this book to life.
Finally, and most especially, to Jake. For always believing.