I would like to begin by thanking Kirsten Thompson, who has always gone far beyond the call of duty to help me improve as a writer and researcher (even providing me with extensive feedback on papers I wrote outside of her classes). It was Kirsten who first proposed that I write about static films after reading an early draft of a seminar paper I wrote on the subject. Her encouraging remarks persuaded me that I had stumbled on a project worth pursuing. This book simply would not exist without her tireless guidance and support.
I would also like to thank the other individuals who served on my doctoral dissertation committee. I first took a class with Steve Shaviro when I was in the masters program at Wayne State, and it was this course—with its challenging theoretical texts and bizarre yet utterly compelling films—that inspired me to pursue a PhD in Film and Media Studies. (This is also where I received my first exposure to the films of Andy Warhol.) Steve’s unparalleled mastery of film theory and philosophy never ceases to amaze me. He is a constant source of inspiration. I am also incredibly grateful to Scott Richmond, not only because he has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of avant-garde cinema but also because of the remarkable amount of time and energy that he has been willing to devote to helping me become a better scholar. Scott has always believed in me and my project, and for that, I cannot thank him enough. Finally, reading Roy Grundmann’s book Andy Warhol’s “Blow Job” was something of an epiphany for me, as it helped me to realize how much mileage a smart scholar could get out of a single simple static film. It has been an honor working under the guidance of such a perceptive thinker and skillful researcher.
I would like to thank Columbia University Press, especially Jennifer Crewe, John Bolton, Kathryn Schell, and Roy Thomas, and my copyeditor Joe Abbott.
My gratitude extends to the anonymous readers commissioned by Columbia University Press, who provided a number of excellent suggestions for improving this manuscript—as did the anonymous readers at Cinema Journal, Screen, and the British Journal of Aesthetics. My research has also been heavily shaped by the thoughtful comments of Michael Snow, Mieko Shiomi, Dan McLaughlin, Jon Jost, Kyle Edwards, Hunter Vaughan, Alison Hoffman-Han, Bruce Jenkins, Andrew Epstein, and Robert Burgoyne.
I would like to thank my father, not only for his detailed feedback on this project but also for exposing me to a broad variety of art, music, literature, and cinema from a young age. I would also like to thank my mother for forcing me to read a book every week as soon as I was able to and for always offering her unconditional love. Ashley Ford, Nana and Grandpa, and my in-laws, Jim and Cynthia Rosiek, have all supported me in more ways than I can count, and for that, I am profoundly grateful. Finally, my deepest gratitude goes to my wife, Katrina, and my son, J.J., who have been daily sources of affection, kindness, and encouragement. Words cannot express how fortunate I am to have them in my life.