FIRST, and forever, I thank Sally. For marrying me. For bringing her calm, humor, and courage to our marriage. For encouraging me to write. Our agreement was that I could write whatever I wanted, and she could delete whatever she wanted. I also appreciate the encouragement I received from our children, Sarah, John, and Sam. In telling my story, I had to tell parts of theirs. I have written as honestly and as thoughtfully as I could. I hope that my family will be as forgiving of this book’s flaws as they’ve had to be of mine.
My brother, Mark, has encouraged my writing ever since I started. Thank you, Mark. I also want to thank my mother, Betty Austin, and my father, Neal Austin.
I am grateful to my agent, Michelle Tessler, for believing in my writing, and to the folks at W. W. Norton. I couldn’t believe my good fortune when Jill Bialosky took on my book. I admire her gifts as a writer of poetry and prose, and she has edited some of my favorite books of all time. I am thrilled that she edited this one. I am grateful that she saw value in my writing and turned my manuscript into such a beautiful book. Paul Whitlatch, her editorial assistant, was skillful and kind as he shepherded the book, and me, through a process I had no experience in. Adrienne M. Davich, another editorial assistant, took over midway through and provided seamless care of the book. Samantha Choy did an excellent job as the book’s publicist. Ann Adelman did an incredible job as the book’s copy editor: if any errors in punctuation, usage, or spelling slipped past her, it was because she had so many coming at her at the same time. The design team did a wonderful job. I do not think that any writer, anywhere, at any time, could be happier than I am with the way the book turned out.
This book never would have happened without the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Knowing a bunch of good stories is one thing. Being able to write them is another. The ER provided the stories, and the NCWN taught me how to write them. The following teachers have helped me, in classrooms, workshops, and by critiquing my work, from the very beginning. I cannot adequately express my gratitude to: Maudy Benz, Abigail Dewitt, Philip Gerard, Judy Goldman, Virginia Holman, Ruth Moose, Peggy Payne, and Saundra Redding.
Another teacher, to whom I will be forever grateful, is Ernie Rancourt. He taught me English in the twelfth grade. He also taught me how to live. I would also like to thank Frank Overton, who helped me grow as a person and as a writer.
I will always be grateful for the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and to Michael Collier, the director; Jennifer Grotz, the assistant director; and Noreen Cargill, the administrative manager. They have consistently put together a conference that is unparalleled. The following faculty and fellows have been kind enough to find value in my work, and have been more than generous, as they’ve helped me grow as a writer: Amy Benson, David Bradley, Peter Chilson, Rachel Cohen, Ted Conover, Rachel DeWoskin, William Kittredge, Debra Marquart, Sebastian Matthews, Susan Orlean, and Dana Sachs.
My coworkers in the ER—nurses, docs, nursing assistants, ward clerks, housekeepers, respiratory therapists, X-ray techs—have been very supportive over the course of the seven years I’ve been working on this book. Their interest and support made it easier to keep writing, even when it seemed futile. The following coworkers have given me specific feedback on the manuscript, which was very helpful: Jack Allison, Mary Amato, Kiara Eily, Sam Grossinger, Jodie Johnson, Jon Jones, Ted LaMay, Albert Malvehey, Ron McLear, Mike Minogue, Todd Rogers, Cynthia Shimer, Eugenia Smith, Paul Wiegand, and Hank Wright.
Friends that have read the book and given feedback include: Cathy and Jim Dykes, Sarah Stern, Candy and Mike Webster, Gin Wiegand, and Sue Wilson.
I would also like to thank my patients and their families. Most of them are thoughtful, kind people, who appreciate whatever care my coworkers and I can offer. After reviewing what I’ve written, I see that I haven’t included many of those patients—people who tell me not to worry when I apologize for how long they’ve had to wait, people who encourage me to take care of the sicker patients first. These people have no way of knowing how much their patience and understanding help during a busy shift. I’ll have to start telling them.