Acknowledgements
Before I published my first book, I’d read acknowledgments sections and wonder who all those people were and how they could have contributed to the final text. I discovered through my own publishing journey that while the act of writing is generally a solitary endeavor, we draw on our communities to move our work from idea to printed book.
This book never would have come to fruition had it not been for Patricia Leavy. Thank you for your big loans from the girl zone. I have been so blessed by your friendship and your support for my work. Thanks also to John Bennett, Jolanda Karada, and the staff at Brill. Always a pleasure to work with you.
Over my academic career, a number of people have taken the time to mentor me as a writer. Brenda Phillips first gave me a copy of Howard Becker’s book on writing in graduate school, and refused to let me get away with lazy writing. Lisa Henry made me recognize that my researcher soul is ethnographic. Lisa Zottarelli—your advice helped me gain my footing as a new academic, and for that I will always be grateful. Michelle Garcia and the rest of the amazing women at The OpEd Project gave me a different perspective on writing for a general audience and for making effective arguments (to be sure). Both the Creative Writing and Journalism programs at Texas Tech University started me on the path of professional writer. Much love also to my ICQI family for your support.
I feel the need to acknowledge that I began the second edition of this book during the winter of 2020—when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging through my area and leaving the house was a precarious endeavor. Writing kept me busy during dark times, and kept my sanity (more or less) intact. Patricia Leavy and Sandra Faulkner, I’m not sure how I would have made it through without our weekly chats. And Claire Sahlin, you always gave me hope things would get better and we would be working alongside each other and going out to lunch together in a post-vaccine world soon. Erin Ellis, your chicken stories gave me life (please grow the cockatrice). Rosemary Reilly, you were going through your own darkness, yet you stopped and gave me sunshine. Susan Harper, you are my dear friend. Thank you for all your help, not just with this book, but for always being a beam of light in my life. I appreciate you more than you will ever know.
Greg, Renn, and Rory—nothing happens without you. You are my love, my light, and my happiness.