Notes from Ghost Town (32 page)

So you sing. You sing whole-hog, fearless loud. You sing the whole way.

E  N  D

First and foremost, I owe thanks the length and weight of thirty-to-forty full-grown elephants to Lexa Hillyer, Lauren Oliver, and Rhoda Belleza, for always pushing me further, and better; for trust, patience, ideas, insights; for always being on the other end of whatever line’s around to keep me calm and writing; for making all of this seem manageable even when it feels glaring and mountainous; for making every sentence better; for being teachers, and beacons, and wild party animals, when the time is right.

Stephen Barbara, for agenting wonderment and delight, and Greg Ferguson, for giving another book the kindest home its rearer could imagine, for superior, thoughtful editing finesse, for making many parts of this book make any sense at all, and, mainly, for always being ready, willing, and more-than-able to quote
Wayne’s World
, whenever possible.

The Hatz: Danielle DuGuay, Landon Newton, Annie Raife, Grace Lowman, Camila “Poodle” Danger, and to all my friends (I’m naming you in my head right now,
and will soon tattoo your names in a neat list down my spine, I promise) for being the dreamiest human beings a girl could wish to have by her side. Thank you thank you thank you, for it all. You keep my heart working right.

All the folks I met in Miami—and especially Barbara (and a very cool dog named Dmitri)—who were among the kindest, most generous people I’ve met, and who took me in and cooked me meals and showed me how amazing and weird and truly unique your city is. (But no thanks to the very aggressive mosquitos, who showed absolutely zero restraint and drank my blood in swarms at every possible opportunity (shame on you).)

S—for love, and for heartache. Any responsible writer, and human, probably needs to learn both.

Finally, to my family: for endless support, and endless love, and endless a-million-other-things it’s difficult to write succinctly about. I’m more lucky than I even really understand, I think. But I’m trying. I’m trying.