Thanking those who have been invaluable to the publication of a book takes on a whole other level of import when the topic of that book is gratitude. As with any other human attempt at offering appreciation, I hope my sincere intentions will outweigh any accidental omissions.
Getting this work out into what has become a very unpredictable world has made it more challenging, but in the process, it has also made me all the more grateful for the tremendous team that made it possible.
This book would not exist without the expertise and support of many individuals and institutions. My agent of more years than either of us would care to admit, Yfat Reiss Gendell, is part sounding board, part truth-telling voice of reason, and full-time advocate. She rests on no laurels—though she could have a comfy bed if she decided to do so—and works tirelessly to help me navigate what is a constantly changing and often volatile industry. Her insights and friendship are of monumental importance to me. She and her team at YRG Partners are a delightfully brilliant, unique bunch, and I feel very fortunate to be on their roster. I am grateful to editor John Parsley for his enthusiasm for this story, and for diving in with voracious energy and verve on this, our maiden publishing voyage together. He was ably assisted by Cassidy Sachs and the rest of the gang at my new home, Dutton and Penguin Random House, including Dutton publisher Christine Ball and president Ivan Held. They never wavered in their support of my book. The managing editorial and production team headed by Susan Schwartz and Linda Rosenberg, including production editor Claire Winecoff, production manager Erin Byrne, and copy editor Martha Schwartz, asked all the right questions and, more important, cleaned up my mistakes when I could not see them anymore. The publicity and marketing crew—including Amanda Walker, Sarah Thegeby, Stephanie Cooper, and Caroline Payne—had their work cut out for them during a pandemic to ensure this book found the right audience. Layout designer Nancy Resnick gave my words a lovely setting on the page; and cover designer Vi-An Nguyen wrapped it up in the cleanest, most enticing package I could ever want. This book would not have been possible without the countless manuscripts, letters, and other archives that provided a peek into the past. The efforts of universities, research libraries, and private foundations to make their work available digitally has been a boon not only to people like me but also to everyone—teachers, students, citizens—who were unable to venture out into the world freely this year. Their contributions are detailed in the Selected Notes and Sources. On occasion, I need an extra pair of boots on the ground when I cannot be everywhere at once. I thank the intrepid Deirdre Cossman in New York, and my West Coast arm, Drake Witham. My personal support system is vast, and there are too many friends and family to thank for giving me a shot of perspective or bourbon. However, I must call out Lauren Harr and Caroline Green Christopoulos, my always-available, go-to gals of the publicity team at Gold Leaf Literary. My “home” bookstore, the incomparable Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in downtown Asheville, North Carolina—I could not ask for a better place to offer my books, host my events, or spend my free time. Abbott Kahler’s talent as a writer and generous spirit as a friend keep me (moderately) sane. And finally, I can never thank my husband, Joseph D’Agnese, enough, for serving as in-house editor, expert anxiety reliever, and all-around exceptional human being. Thank you all for seeing this through with me.