During this unique historical time the writers collected in the present volume have been unflagging in their professionalism and kindness, and I am grateful and honored to have worked with all of them: Stefán Snævarr, Alexander Kremer, Leszek Koczanowicz, Max Ryynänen, Tonino Griffero, Dorota Koczanowicz, Diane Richard-Allerdyce, Yvonne Bezrucka, Else Marie Bukdahl, Marit Benthe Norheim, Claus Ãrntoft, Yang Lu, Yanping Gao, and, of course, Richard Shusterman who thoughtfully responded to all the essays about his work. For all of us, Richard has been an ongoing source of inspiration and encouragement, generously giving of his time over the years in innumerable ways, in teaching, conferencing, writing, editing, attending performances, performing in the arts, curating art exhibitions, establishing centers of somaesthetics, and collaborating with artists and scholars. We have all benefitted greatly from a philosopher whose theories of art are nourished and tested by his own artistic practice, and whose kindness to friends and artists and philosophers sets a standard few if any of us could have thought possible prior to seeing it lived.
Richard often insists that the success of his work in somaesthetics owes an immeasurable debt to the Schmidt Family Foundation that generously funds his chair at fau and supports the Center for Body, Mind, and Culture he established there. He told me he would like to thank the Schmidts again for their support, which also greatly benefitted this book. I join him in thanking them for this generosity.
Last but not least, I am deeply grateful to Elizabeth F. Cooke for her ever-present support and philosophical conversation on pragmatism and aesthetics over the years and throughout the editing of this volume (in time of pandemic), and for more good things than I can ever hope to count.