Joe Hill - Horns

EXPERTS DISAGREE ABOUT THE LYRICS of the Romantics’ seminal 1980s hit, “What I Like About You.” Ig sings it “you’re whispering in my ear,” but many other listeners claim that Jim Marinos is hollering “warm whispering in my ear,” or even, “phone whispering in my ear.” Given the widespread popular confusion, I felt I could allow Iggy to have it his way, but I apologize to rock purists who feel I got it wrong.

The copy editor on this book noted, correctly, that locusts die off in July, but the author chose to pretend otherwise, for those famous artistic reasons we’re always hearing so much about.

My thanks to Dr. Andy Singh, for providing me with a rough sketch of BRCA1, the form of cancer that claimed Merrin’s sister, and might’ve claimed her, if my plot didn’t demand otherwise. Any errors regarding medical fact are, however, the author’s own. Thanks as well to Kerri Singh, and the rest of the Singh clan, for indulging my hand-wringing over this particular novel, during the course of a variety of evenings.

Much gratitude as well to Danielle and Dr. Alan Ades. When I needed a place to work where no one would bother me, they found me one. Thanks as well to the folks at Lee Mac’s for feeding me for four months. I’m grateful to my friends Jason Ciaramella and Shane Leonard, who both read this book in manuscript form and provided me with a good deal of helpful feedback.

Thanks to Ray Slyman, who filled me in on the Don Orione cross; to my sister, the minister Naomi King, who pointed me to several useful passages in the Bible. A book, God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question-Why We Suffer by Bart Ehrman (HarperOne), also proved a helpful resource. I read God’s Problem while I was neck-deep in the fifth draft. I suspect that if I had read it earlier on, this would’ve been a very different novel. Not better or worse, just different.

A dedicated team of passionate book people worked on Horns behind the scenes at William Morrow/HarperCollins: Mary Schuck, Ben Bruton, Tavia Kowalchuk, Lynn Grady, Liate Stehlik, Lorie Young, Nyamekye Waliyaya, and copy editor Maureen Sugden. My thanks to the whole crew for doing so much to make me look good.

Appreciation is due as well to Jody Hotchkiss and Sean Daily, who are passionate book people themselves (as well as passionate movie people), and who were fierce, happy advocates for this story.

There was a point at which I came to feel that this book itself was the devil; I’m grateful to my editors, Jen Brehl, Jo Fletcher, and Pete Crowther, and to my agent, Mickey Choate, both for their patience while I struggled with the thing and for all the help they offered to guide me through the nettles of my own story. Finally, love to my folks, Leanora, and my boys; without them, I wouldn’t have had a hope in hell of finishing Horns.

– J.H., August 2009

JOE HILL is the author of a previous novel, Heart-Shaped Box, a story collection, 20 thCentury Ghosts, and an occasional comic series, Locke & Key. You can learn more at www.joehillfiction.com and follow him on Twitter, where he goes by the inspired handle of joe_hill.