The Capacity for Infinite Happiness

Chapter 1

Many, many people helped me to write this book.

I’d like to thank my editor, Paul Vermeersch; the amazing team at Wolsak and Wynn and Hillary Rexe.

I’m also deeply grateful to all my teachers, including the entire faculty at the University of Guelph M.F.A. Program, particularly Linda Spalding, Thomas King and Catherine Bush, and Carolyn Smart at Queen’s University. A special thank you to Connie Rooke. I have so much to thank her for.

I’d also like to thank readers (who helped with close readings, and inspired me with their work): my classmates at the University of Guelph M.F.A., particularly Jacob McArthur Mooney, Mia Grace Kim, Amina Farah, David James Brock, Abby Whidden, Melanie Mah, Kimberley Alcock, Jamie Forsythe, Kathy Friedman, Kathryn Husler; and my (very literary) friends, particularly Carolyn Black, Holly Kent, Amber McMillan and Katherine Arcus.

I’d also like to thank Anne Milyard for close reading, help, inspiration and mentorship.

Finally, I’d like to thank my family. Thank you to my parents, Andrea and Rainer, and to Kier, and Tai, for books, family, a boisterous childhood and adulthood. Thank you to Margaret and Ruth for telling me all the stories that inspired this novel, and who made me feel like I’d been to the Muskoka Lodge. Thank you to Jake and Oliver, who give me a place and a family to come home to.

Many, many books also helped me to write this book. This is a work of fiction, but it is informed by other people’s work, including the following: Harpo Speaks! by Harpo Marx and Rowland Barber; Groucho and Me, Memoirs of a Mangy Lover and The Groucho Letters by Groucho Marx; Growing up with Chico by Maxine Marx; My Life with Groucho by Arthur Marx. I was also inspired by many works of fiction, but couldn’t possibly list them all here.