Acknowledgments

This book wouldn’t have happened without David Vann’s generous early interest and crucial comments. I cannot thank him enough. Many thanks also to my agent, the incomparable David Forrer, for believing in the book, for his essential insights, and for making things happen. Thanks to the whole team at InkWell Management for their effort and skill. Thanks to Bronwen Hruska, Meredith Barnes, Rachel Kowal, Janine Agro, Kapo Ng, and everyone at Soho Press, for taking a chance on Join, for making the novel a beautiful object, and for helping it find an audience. Profound thanks to Mark Doten, whose brilliant editorial contributions helped shape a novel from the story.

Thanks to Ilene, Leonard, Elsie, and most especially to Terri Linn, whose support and care helped make this story possible. Thanks to Charles Johnston. Many of his ideas inform Join. I don’t know exactly how, or precisely which ones, but they are there. Thanks to KM Alexander, for thoughtful feedback and timely inspiration.

Thanks to each of the following people for their help with early drafts—it’s hard to imagine this book without every one of them: Bob Shaw, Ruta Toutonghi, John Shaw, Carolee Bull, Geoff Pfander, Gary Knopp, Jack Hawkes, David Zitzewitz, Will Wagler, and Tom Richards.

Thanks to Pauls Toutonghi, my good and wise younger brother, for his smarts, eloquence, and informed perspective. Thanks to Annette Toutonghi and Bruce Oberg, for friendship and support, infinite awesome, and fundamentalist mac and cheese. Thanks to Gabrielle Toutonghi, for belief and commitment, and to Mike Toutonghi for the example of his daring and intelligence, and for the words.

Thanks to Mary and Joseph Toutonghi for their loving examples, and to Peyton Marshall, Alyona Toutonghi, John Greene, and the extended Toutonghi clan, and to Judi Linn and Leigh Anne Shaw, for unflagging encouragement. Thanks to Mason, Michael, Dan, Anna, Phin, and Bea for building a future and for not being too surprised that I’m proud of them beforehand.

Thanks to those colleagues whose collective efforts and goodwill allowed all of us to help our customers and to earn a living, making Join possible. Thanks to John Shaw (again), to Matt Boyle, Rob Ernst, Tok Thompson and Tollef Thompson, because the vorpal blade went snicker-snack.

And finally, thanks endlessly and most especially to my wife, Monique Shaw, who has made a welcome space in our home for each and every sentence.