To Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin, Lois Lowry, and V. C. Andrews; to Eva Hoffman and Lorrie Moore; to Barbara Trapido, Toni Morrison, and Dostoevsky; to TC Boyle, and Milosz and Szymborska; to Frank McCourt and Francine Prose; to Marquez and Bukowski--my first loves, my mad loves, my many loves, too many to name.