ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
These stories, sometimes in slightly different form, first appeared in the following publications:
The Southern Review: “Zolaria”
Blackbird: “It Looks Like This”
Passages North: “Zero Conditional”
Tin House: “Going to Estonia”
Epoch: “World Champion Cow of the Insane”
Prairie Schooner and The Pushcart Prize XXXV: Best of the Small Presses: “Steal Small”
The Cincinnati Review: “Embodied”
The Paris Review: “At the Zoo”
West Branch: “The Lion Gate”
Third Coast and The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009: “This Is Not Your City”
The Gettysburg Review: “In the Gulf of Aden, Past the Cape of Guardafui”
More people than I could possibly list have contributed to this book, in ways large and small. I’ve stolen punch lines, couches, fish tanks, translations, and more. Thanks to all those who have fed me with your friendship, your conversation, your wisdom, your humor. I hope you know who you are.
I’m especially thankful to everyone who read these stories and not only helped make them better, but made me a better writer:
To my teachers, including Ron Carlson, Melissa Pritchard, T.M. McNally, Erin McGraw, Kim McMullen, and Judith DeWoskin.
To the whole Arizona State University MFA crowd, but especially Beth Staples, Katie Cortese, Liz Weld, Marian Crotty, Elizabyth Hiscox, Douglas Jones, Matthew Frank.
To other writerly friends: Ander Monson, Austin Bunn, Sarah Stella.
To all the editors who published (and improved) my work in their literary magazines and anthologies, particularly Brock Clarke.
Effusive thanks to Sarah Gorham and everybody at Sarabande, who not only do amazing work, but came riding up as knights in shining armor for this particular book. Thank you to Judy Heiblum, trusted advisor and advocate, and to Pamela Holway, for patience and good counsel.
For their financial support, a deep thank you to Grand Valley State University, Arizona State University, The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University, Theresa A. Wilhoit, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and The Paris Review.
Lastly, I’m grateful to my parents and my sister Mary, who have been there from the beginning with love, support, and good books to read. And to Todd Kaneko: great writer, great editor, and Master of the Atomic Heart Punch.