I’m thankful for the time and talent Dr. Margaret Pless Zee gave to this manuscript, editing and providing valuable guidance and feedback. I found her soon after she’d successfully defended her PhD thesis in English from the University of Mississippi, and she dug in to help me turn mere scraps into something more resembling a story.
I couldn’t have done it without her.
I’m also thankful to my literary agent, Esmond Harmsworth with Aevitas Creative, who had a vital role in this story. Without him sticking by me, believing in me and the message, there’s no Dear William, there’s no A Little Crazy. And there’s no good reason Esmond kept me as a client before I had my big fall in early 2011. We’d only done one book together, and it didn’t amount to much (the one on Jerry Jones), and then I disappeared, crashing, until I approached with the big idea that I’d write about family and healing when my family wasn’t talking to me. He should have cut me off, in that craziness, but Esmond kept talking to me for a decade off and on until I said, “I’ve got this book about our son William’s death and my addiction and the struggles of our other two children.” And he was there, ready to help me develop the project, which ultimately helped me develop the William Magee Institute, and that’s why people believing in us matters so.
Similarly, I’ve been professional and personal friends with Matt Holt, publisher of the Matt Holt Books imprint of BenBella Books, for over twenty years, and this is our fifth book together. Only once I found my voice writing stories about family, relationships, mental health, addiction, and healing have I entirely delivered on my end, but he’s believed in helping me help others. I’m grateful that Dear William, Things Have Changed, and A Little Crazy have reached readers through his imprint. Others at Matt Holt Books who deserve thanks include senior editor Katie Dick-man and senior marketing manager Mallory Hyde.
I must also mention the Triplett family, including Chip Triplett, Diane Holloway, Suzy Fuller, Liz Walker, and Lou Ann Woidtke, who have invested significantly in the Magee Center and Magee Institute through the Triplett Foundation because they care so much about the well-being of students and families, and who have been steadfast supporters personally. We can’t do it alone, and their caring engagement and support is a primary reason the work is getting done.
Finally, a writer has no chance without family support. My wife, Kent, children, Hudson and Mary Halley, and their spouses, Lo and Luke, believe I have stories worth telling, and they both encourage me and give the gift of time and grace. My stories are family stories and couldn’t happen without them. I’m blessed and eternally thankful for them and my late son, William, whose voice and talent have made me a better writer. The byline is mine, but we do this work together.