How to Paint an American

Chapter 2

Acknowledgements

Thank you very much to all the people in all the exquisite, cruel, and exotic places who shared adventures with me by day and heartfelt (and fought) wisdom by night. When asked how I thought of this book, I think of you and our flood of memories that have since washed away to time’s transfixing ocean.

Thank you to the great and good publisher Gary “Stephen Geez” and his maestro editor Beem Weeks for the many hours over many nights to help finally forge the thing. A thousand thanks to Keith Wong for cover art most sublime. Enduring gratitude to Jonathan Moore for lending his vast photographic talents for the author’s picture.

The following people make up the texture of my daily “why,” and I am profoundly grateful for the gift of your gravity on my life: blessed siblings Alison and Molly, magnificent Aunt Anne, and those devoted Canadian summers; and Eric Coble, the finest high-school teacher Yale ever hurled to Colorado. Mr. Walton, Larry Vogel, and Kristin Pfefferkorn; Michael Parks (RIP) and KC Cole; Edinburgh’s finest in Peter Black and Typewronger Books, and its devoted owner, Tom Hodges; Professor Kuan-ju Wu, Kim Ngo, Douglas Campbell, Chet Udell, Daniela Kon, the wonderful Jason Risk—who was unexpectedly ripped from us; Daunia Arena, Valentina, e tutta La Puglia, grazie mille.

Jed Smith, Janna Avner, Bahar İrfan, Alexa Meade, Lora Miro, Paul Debevec, Rick Meyer, Sonia Kazarova, Ross Mead, Nathan Cartwright, Bill Dorrman, Paul Weiss, David Guida, Pax Franchot, Anne Milasincic Andrews, Barrett Morse, Arsen Petrosyan, Braden McDorman, Justin Fortune, Tamara Frapasella, Antoni Hardonk, Liefia Ingalls, Ned Vizzini (RIP), Coleman Hough, Logan Gelbrich, John Odden, Richard Gibbs, Max Gail, Jr., the chaps at the Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles, Tony Lugo, Gina Levy, Laurent Malaquais, Barrett Morse, Gina Nahai, Stephanie Pellegrini, Leslie DiLullo, Robert Proctor, Chantelle Dinkel, Dierdre Martin, Elizabeth Amini, Justin Kessler (RIP), Ted Jessup, Aaron Shaw, Martin Winter, Zhanibek Amanov, Lamon Brewster, Chris Berotti, Vin Merola, Eduardo Del Signore, Richard Gibbs, Marshall Porter, Timur Gareyev, Marcel Dejure, Shelita Burke, Gerard Egan, Carolyn Sills, Kristin Burke, Jean-luc Dushime, Solange Nyamulisa, Malte Hagermeister, Wilson Owen Wilson, Reed Harris, Chad Allen, Will Richter, and Richard Ballard.

Of course, also you, dearest reader.

Thank you all for all the things!