For his exacting and helpful reading of this book’s manuscript, my brother Gene deserves special thanks. So does Rosalie Maggio, for her solid feedback on the manuscript. My brother Steve and sister, Nicky, gave me ongoing support on this book as they did on my others. As ever, my sons David and Scott gave me invaluable assistance along the way. Librarians at the Greene County Library were their usual helpful selves on this project, as were those at Antioch University’s Olive Kettering Library, especially Ritch Kerns, Sandy Coulter, and Scott Sanders. I would also like to thank Sol Steinmetz, for steering me toward this project, and Helena Santini, for helping launch it.
For help with specific aspects of this book, my thanks to Andi Adkins, Larry Ballen, Joseph Barbato, Nancy Lowe Clapp, Gay Courter, Joycie Singer D’Aprile, John Dickinson, Paul Dickson, Bob Fogarty, Gene Forsythe, Leonard Roy Frank, Louis Goldman, Brad Hadfield, Lou and Jonellen Heckler, Jill Hershorin, Virgil Hervey, Holly Hudson, Richard Langworth, Linda Lesher, Priscilla Long, Rosalie Minkin, Patrick O’Connor, Philomene Offen, Kathryn Olney, Bill Phillips, Nindy Silvie, David Smith, Jane Tomlin, and Mary Tom Watts.
My agent, Colleen Mohyde, gave me her usual valuable guidance, support, and reading of the manuscript. My editor, Tracy Behar, was helpful beyond the call with her painstaking reading and rereading of the manuscript, as was her assistant Christina Rodriguez. I didn’t realize that this type of careful, thoughtful line editing was still done and am grateful for it. Marie Salter’s meticulous copyediting made this a better book. Every writer should have the kind of backing that Little, Brown’s crack marketing and publicity teams—Heather Fain, Marlena Bittner, Amanda Tobier, Brittany Boughter, and Brianne Beers—have given Euphemania. Thanks also to Amanda Brown, associate director of domestic subsidiary rights.
Most of all, I would like to thank my wife, Muriel, whose help with research, manuscript review, and overall good counsel improved the quality of this book (to say the least). Every writer needs a wise counselor, and Muriel is mine.
Any book such as this draws on the work of others. The principal works that I consulted follow. Detailed notes on sources for specific discussions in this book can be found in the “Euphemania” section of my website: www.ralphkeyes.com.