Saint Mazie

Acknowledgments

This book was inspired by the life of a woman who was profiled in the essay “Mazie,” which appeared in Joseph Mitchell’s brilliant and essential essay collection, Up in the Old Hotel. Many thanks to John McCormick and Vannesa Shanks for introducing me to the collection, and to John for naming this book.

Lisa Ng took me on an epic tour of the passageways, stairwells, and gardens of Knickerbocker Village. I am grateful for early reads from Kate Christensen, Bex Schwartz, Lauren Groff, and Courtney Sullivan. Thanks for love, support, and housing to: Rosie Schaap, Wendy McClure, Stefan Block, Molly Dilworth, Sunil Thambidurai, Rien Fertel, Alex Chee, Roxane Gay, Brendan Fitzgerald, Ron Currie, Jr., Kerri Mahoney, Gabrielle Bell, Cinde Boutwell, Matt Laska, Jenn Northington, Maris Kreizman, Rachel Fershleiser, and Amanda Bullock. Bright stars all of you.

The stellar Doug Stewart and Sterling Lord Literistic have given me a decade of unwavering support and invaluable wisdom. I write to impress Helen Atsma, my talented, generous editor. She, along with Sonya Cheuse and Grand Central Publishing, have given me their faith, and have changed my life forever, in no small part because they are all extremely good at their jobs. A thousand thanks, a thousand embraces.

With love, as always, to my family.