My agent, Dan Kirschen, for plucking me out of the gutter, hosing me down, and entertaining endless jokes about how we might one day employ the knowledge I acquired along the way.
All the heroes at Simon & Schuster, especially Jonathan Karp and Nick Greene, who took a chance on an obscure person with an unusual obsession. Massive thanks to Karyn Marcus and Megan Hogan for their genius editorial insights and vision for this book. Philip Bashe, I’m naming my firstborn for you, and you will ensure I spell the name correctly!
Readers who slogged through early drafts! Especially Valerie Seiling-Jacobs and Raina Lipsitz, who were my doulas in the birthing tub since conception. Kassi Underwood, Zoe Banks, Nicky Roe, Namwali Serpell, Craig Taylor, and Mike Thomsen.
Employers who gave me paychecks throughout! Heidi Julavits and Patricia Minaya. Sally Mara Sturman, the most generous landlady and friend this lady could ask for.
The residencies that fed me in exotic locales as I wrote: Sangam House, the Ucross Foundation, the MacDowell Colony, Omi Ledig House, the Edward Albee Foundation, ArtFarm Nebraska, the Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, the Norman Mailer Center. Thanks to the Columbia University School of the Arts for showing me what’s possible. Thanks to the reference librarians at Butler, and to librarians everywhere.
Patricia O’Toole, fairy godmother to us all.
Margo Jefferson for unending support. Guy Lawson for so generously sharing his wisdom.
Kira Witkin for her eagle eyes. Julie Alongi, who annually sets my soul at ease. Petra Lee Ghin for her peroxide ninja superpowers.
Friends! Elijah Amitin, Kate Craig, Cathryne Czubek, Brooke Dawson, Dave Der-Sarkisian, Frances Dodds, Phil Eil, Madeline Felix, Sally Franson, Caty Gordon, Cherlyn Medina, Nick Milo, Dax Proctor, Michael Seidenberg, Alexa Vega, Chris Vieyra, Anya Yurchyshyn. Dawn and Eric, I miss you every day, and the world does, too.
Matt van Wingen for a crappy Vietnamese dinner and asking a question intended to be rhetorical.
The people who participated in this book and shared their stories. I am honored, grateful, and humbled.
And to my family—Janette Greenwood, Merritt Greenwood, Susannah Greenwood, Michael Rubin, Sam Rubin—most of all. Thank you.