The Love Song of Jonny Valentine

Acknowledgments

THE MRS. GILES WHITING Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts provided generous financial support that enabled me to complete this novel. Several people in other fields shared their expertise with me: for medical matters, Clara Boyd, Andrew Epstein, and Andrew Gassman; in the law, Josh Gradinger; and about the music industry, Morgan O’Malley and Matt Paget. Dr. Jane O’Connor’s The Cultural Significance of the Child Star, along with an article she sent me before its publication, proved to be my most fertile research resources. I am grateful to Kathryn Davis, Joshua Henkin, Marshall Klimasewiski, and Kellie Wells for their continued guidance and help. A cohort of selfless readers improved this novel substantially: Sarah Bruni, Maura Kelly, Eric Lundgren, Diana Spechler, John Warner, Paul Whitlatch, and my beloved retired agent, Rosalie Siegel. Jim Rutman’s unwavering confidence and sagacity would make him, in an alternate universe, a superior manager for Jonny Valentine. I am deeply indebted to Millicent Bennett for her brilliant editing, passionate advocacy, and consummate professionalism; her assistant, Chloe Perkins; Sarah Nalle; publisher Martha Levin and editor in chief Dominick Anfuso; Meg Cassidy, Jill Siegel, Carisa Hays, Nicole Judge, Suzanne Donahue, Jackie Jou, Erin Reback, Stuart Smith, Karen Fink, Wendy Sheanin, Nina Pajak, and the rest of the robust sales and marketing departments; Carly Sommerstein, Ellen Sasahara, and Beth Maglione in production; the innovative video team at Studio 4; Jonathan Karp; and everyone else at Free Press and Simon & Schuster for their enthusiasm and faith. Thank you, Jenna McKnight, for being a good kid. And, lastly, my ongoing gratitude to my parents.