Thanks to Binky Urban, whose dauntless efforts on behalf of this book leave me speechless; to Sonny Mehta, who made everything possible; to Gary Fisketjon il migliorfabbro', and to Garth Battista and Marie Behan, whose patience with me sometimes makes me want to weep.
And – despite the risk of sounding like a Homeric catalogue of ships – the following people must all be thanked for their aid, inspiration and love: Russ Dallen, Greta Edwards Anthony, Claude Fredericks, Cheryl Gilman, Edna Golding, Barry Hannah, Ben Herring, Beatrice Hill, Mary Minter Krotzer, Antoinette Linn, Caitlin Mc Caffrey, Joe Mc Ginniss, Paul and Louise Mc Gloin, Mark Mc Nairy, Willie Morris, Erin 'Maxfield' Parish, Delia Reid, Pascale Retourner-Raab, Jim and Mary Robison, Elizabeth Seelig, Mark Shaw, Orianne Smith, Maura Spiegel, Richard Stilwell, Mackenzie Stubbins, Rebecca Tartt, Minnie Lou Thompson, Arturo Vivante, Taylor Weatherall, Alice Welsh, Thomas Yarker and, most of all, that dear old bad old Boushe family.