Several of these stories first appeared in the following publications: “Of Pigs and Children” (New Delta Review), “Check the Baby” (Gulf Coast), “In Lapland” (Gettysburg Review), “Local Accident” (New World Writing), “Scandamerican Domestic” (Smokelong Quarterly), “Direct Assault from South Sweden” (New World Writing), “Time in Norrmalmstorg” (Laurel Review), “When Our Son, 26, Brings Us His First Girlfriend” (New South), “O Sweet One in the Bluff” (New World Writing), “The Cook at Swedish Castle” (Black Warrior Review), “Tomtens” (Fairy Tale Review), “When Our Son, 36, Asks Us for What He Calls a Small Loan” (the Collagist), “Cabins” (SubTropics), “Scandamerican Pastoral” (Gulf Coast), and “Last Cottage” (Cincinnati Review, Best American Mystery Stories 2011).
I want to thank the editors of the literary journals that took a chance on my work. In particular, I want to thank the editors who really went out of their way to work with me on some of these stories in various stages: Frederick Barthelme, Matt Bell, Sean Bishop, Chris Chambers, Brock Clarke, Andrew Farkas, Michael Griffith, Tara Masih, Meg Pokrass, and Richard Sonnenmoser.
I am a living product of American academic creative writing programs, and I have therefore enjoyed the privilege of learning from and working with many really wonderful teachers. Thank you Padgett Powell, Nancy Reisman, David Leavitt, Brian Kiteley, Selah Saterstrom, and Laird Hunt. My first teacher of fiction is also the one I need to thank the most thoroughly, because he has stayed with me year after year after year: Josh Russell, a prodigious friend, stunning writer, and staggeringly smart teacher.
The good people at Coffee House, who also took a risk on me. The first books I fell in love with were Coffee House Press books, and your invitation into this press is really a dream for which I am so grateful.
I want to thank my devoted and generous parents, my awesome sister, and my nutty and lovable extended family in Illinois.
And finally, of course, there’s only one person in my life who has been with me from the first story in this book to the last: Molly, thank you. You are the smartest, sharpest, kindest, cutest, wisest person I know, and I am lucky I get to share a name and house and kids and bedsheets with you.