After the Parade

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the following:

The organizations and individuals who offered crucial support in the early stages of this book, especially Nancy Zafris, who got my publishing ball rolling and has continued to offer friendship and guidance; The Rona Jaffe Foundation, which provided me with the financial means to reduce my teaching load in 2009–10; the Creative Writing Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I was the Kenan Visiting Writer from 2010 to 2012 and was fortunate to have wonderful students and colleagues; Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference; and all the hardworking editors at various literary journals who have supported my work, especially New England Review, as well as those who published early parts of this novel: The Iowa Review, Bluestem, Beloit Fiction Journal, Nashville Review, and the Northwest Review.

My agent, Terra Chalberg, who is pragmatic and supportive and knows when to set deadlines;

Liese Mayer, my editor, who has been an enthusiastic friend to this book, saving me from myself countless times with her thoughtful, gentle, and judicious edits; as well as Nan Graham, Kate Lloyd, Alexsis Johnson, Rita Madrigal, Mia Crowley-Hald, and the rest of the team at Scribner, all of whom have made me feel continuously grateful to have found a home for my book with them.

My students, who make me feel both useful and hopeful. I’m not sure how much I would write if I didn’t feel both of these at least some of the time;

My dear friends, who understand that when I complete a day of writing, I rarely want to talk about it, and who have shown their support in countless ways;

Anne Raeff, my first reader, with whom I have spent nearly two-and-a-half decades of my life.