It always takes a village. But sometimes more than others. This was one of those times. This book took six months from conception to final delivery of the manuscript, which is quite a feat for scholarly publishing. This would not have happened if it were not for the support and contributions of a large number of people.
We are extremely grateful to our editor at the MIT Press, Gita Manaktala. Her unfailing commitment to this project from the very first email exchange, her insightful advice at every step of the way, and her always warm presence have made our collaboration not only possible but also a true pleasure.
Our authors were a blessing to work with. They trusted us to shepherd a project that was unique not only because of its fast production cycle but also for the unusual genre format we asked them to work with—a 2,500-word essay, something of hybrid between an op-ed and a paper. They took on these speed and genre challenges with intellectual rigor, a strong work ethic, and a great sense of camaraderie.
We could not have pulled this off without the incredible behind-the-scenes work of Jamie Foster, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jamie went above and beyond the call of duty, dealing with all kinds of issues in a timely and efficient manner. We also acknowledge the financial support received from our respective departments.
We thank the staff at the Cherry Circle Room in the Chicago Athletic Association. Perhaps, if it weren’t for the delicious food and drinks they served us on a cold January evening, the book you now have in your hands might have only been a figment in our imaginations.
Last but not least, this project has been a team effort in which both of us contributed equally. Editorship order is just a function of the arbitrariness of alphabetical order.
Pablo J. Boczkowski (from Berlin, Germany) and Zizi Papacharissi (from the beautiful beaches of the Greek Islands), July 30, 2017