I Lost My Love in Baghdad (27 page)

There are many people I'd like to thank for support for me and for this book. First, I'd like to thank my editor Nan Graham at Scribner for her incredible insights, her amazing guidance, and her uncompromising standards. To my agent Sarah Chalfant at the Wylie Agency for her calming voice, her friendship, and for believing in this from the beginning. I am especially grateful for the support of
Newsweek
magazine. It has been a privilege for me to work for, and learn from, Jon Meacham, Fareed Zakaria, and Dan Klaidman. I would also like to thank Lally Weymouth, Don Graham, and Rick Smith, for treating me like a member of the family. To Scott Johnson, Babak Dehghanpisheh, and Rod Nordland for teaching me how to report in Iraq. To my editors at the magazine, Nisid Hajari, Jeff Bartholet, Andrew Nagorksi, and Sam Seibert, who week after week always asked the right questions. To Jon Darman for being a great friend willing to hear me vent. To my other editors and colleagues at the magazine (former and current) who I learned so much from over the years: Tony Emerson, Fred Guterl, John Wojno, Christian Caryl, Jack Livings, David Kammerman, Christopher Dickey, Mark Whitaker, Alexis Gelber, Michael Hirsh, Dave Friedman, Cathy Ruggiero, Sharon Sullivan, Jamie Cunningham, Nancy Cooper, Ranya Khadri, Mark Miller, Marcus Mabry, Malcolm Beith, Michael Meyer, Sarah Childress, Stryker McGuire, Silvia Spring, Will Dobson, Richard Ernsberger, Dan Ephron, Kevin Peraino, Joanna Chen, Nuha Musla, Debra Rosenburg, Deidre Depke, Arlene Getz, and Carl Sullivan (for putting my stories up on the website, no matter the hour). I also need to thank my translators in Iraq, especially Mohammed Heydar Sideq, and I hope one day I can give you all the credit you deserve. I owe a debt of gratitude to the staff at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad: Lou Fintor, Nicole Sanders, John Sullivan, John Roberts, Clinton Carter, Armand Cucinello, and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. For the
Newsweek
security managers I can't name—thanks as well. To my friends from the Baghdad press corps: Louise Rouge, Solomon Moore, Phillip Shiskin, Larry Kaplow, Borzou Dargahi, and Ned Parker. To Lucian Read for keeping me company with the 172nd and beyond. To all the U.S. soldiers and marines I met—there are too many to name, and I thank them for keeping me safe and letting me ride along. Captain Brad Velotta, LTC John Norris, LTC Steven Duke, LTC Barry Johnson, Captain John Grauer, Captain Gregory Hirschey, Staff Sergeant Jason DeMoss, Lance Corporal Andrew Gladue, Sergeant Brian Patton, and all the men of the 172nd Stryker Brigade. To Joel Lovell for getting me to the finish line with excellent editorial skill. To Edward Orloff at the Wylie Agency for his always good advice and willingness to listen to me ramble. To Lauretta Charlton at Scribner for making sure I got all the right pages at the right time. To my friends Sanjay Reddy, Raja Reddy, Michal Hanuka, and Nick Braccia. Thanks to Pat and Charlie Bresnahan and Suzie and Wendell Cook for the hospitality, and room with a view. To Sarah Raimo and Keri Bertolino. To Matt Hiltzik and Al Franken for keeping Andi's memory alive. To Jaime Horn for her friendship and love of Andi. To my family, Brent, Molly, Jeff, Jon, Margaret, and Ruthgram. To Joe, Marci, Kayla, and Abby Zampini. To Cory and Chris Parhamovich. And to Vicki and Andre Parhamovich for your love, your strength, and for bringing Andi into this world.