280 Ac know ledg ments
Thanks to the colleges and universities that invited me to give
talks based on the material in this book. I am grateful to the Col-
lege of William & Mary (Cloud Lecture), Syracuse University, the
University of Alabama (Phi Beta Kappa Lecture), Amherst College,
North Carolina Lutheran College, Longwood University, Luther
College, Liberty University, Elmhurst College, the Ohio State Uni-
versity, the University of Houston (Houston Lecture), the Univer-
sity of Nebraska (Knoll Lecture), and the Institute for Advanced
Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia.
I am especially grateful to David Clemens, who invited me to
Monterey Bay Community College to talk about ideals, and who has
been a potent supporter of this pro ject from the start.
Thanks to those who read sections of the book or discussed its
overall direction with me, in par tic u lar Peter Devine, Alex Star, and
Michael Pollan. Thanks to my colleagues in the En glish Department
at the University of Virginia: it would be hard to imagine a more
amiable, accomplished, and accepting group. Thanks to John
Casteen, who appointed me to a university professorship, and Terry
Sullivan, who now oversees the appointment. The time and re-
sources that came with that position have helped make this and
numerous other projects possi ble.
I’m most grateful to Lindsay Waters at Harvard University Press,
an editor who is more than an editor, and to his assistant, Amanda
Peery. Thanks too to Susan Campbell, my generous copyeditor;
Melody Negron for giving so much valuable help in the production
of the book; and Christian Howard for helping me to prepare the
manuscript.
Finally: gratitude and love abounding to my family— Liz and
Willie and Matthew.
This book is dedicated foremost to my mo ther, who loved my
brother and sister and me, no matter what we did or did not do.