ixacknowledgments
This book is the result of years of conversation, consultation, and collabora-
tion with many friends and scholars. The first and foremost among these is my
brother, Robert Martin, whose intellectual investment, editorial acumen, and
unconditional love is woven into every word of this project. This book would
not have been possible without him, for so many reasons.
The support, kindness, and perspective of Zahid Chaudhary has been both
constant and invaluable; I am so thankful to have him as a friend and
colleague.
I have been privileged to think about historical poetics with a dream group
of scholars over the past five years: Max Cavitch, Michael Cohen, Virginia
Jackson, Meredith McGill, yopie Prins, Eliza Richards, Jason Rudy, and Caro-
lyn Williams. I am in awe of each of you and thank you for your contributions
to this project. Many of the arguments and ideas I make here were first re-
hearsed in our meetings. This book is for all of us.
yopie Prins deserves special recognition for nurturing this project in its na-
scent stages, for encouraging my research and writing, for teaching and train-
ing me, and for being my constant champion. She has been beside me every
step of the way.
I am grateful for the support (over the years and across the globe) of my
many dear friends, colleagues, teachers, and students: Gayle Salamon, Jess
Roberts, Bonnie Smith, Martin Harries, Tricia McElroy, James McNaughton,
Anne Reader, Eric Geile, Martha Carlson Mazur, Amy young, Graham Smith,
Miriam Allersma, Dana Linnane, Lani Kawamoto, Kathleen Brodhag, Janine
Konkel, Mary Thiel, Trish york, Mary-Ellen Hoffman-Dono, Tina Fink, Vlad
Preoteasa, Vicki Chen, Alex Lester, Matt Hopkins, Margot Wylie, Steve
Heard, Peter Miller, Liz Alfred, Allen Grimm, Justin Read, Ania Woloszynska-
Read, Ben Conisbee-Baer, Siona Wilson, Eve Sorum, Vivica Williams, Susan
and Scott Hyman-Blumenthal, Forrest Perry, Laura Shingleton, Stewart Cole-
man, Rob Karl, Beth Rabbitt, Evan Johnston, Laura Halperin, Indra Mukho-
padhahy, Charles Sabatos, Sylwia Ejmont, Michael Dickman, Pegg y Carr,
Stan Barrett, Kristen Syrett, Sean Cotter, Meg Cotter-Lynch, Cathy Crane,
Alia Ayub, Gary Lloyd, Ben Crick, Jonathan Butt, Bryony Hall, James Ham-
mersly, Lena Hull, Bill Howe, A. B. Huber, Mike Laffan, Charles LaPorte,
Jason Hall, Kirstie Blair, Catherine Robson, Anne Jamison, Jim Richardson,
John Whittier-Ferguson, Marjorie Levinson, Paulann Petersen, Ken Pallack,
Ward Lewis, Karl Kirchwey, Mia Fineman, Joel Smith, Devin Fore, Simon