Laura van den Berg - What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us

When the driver honked, I stopped walking, as though I had been yanked by an invisible string. I watched until she became dark and slanted, imagining the cries of the Indris swelling, the vines bending underneath her boots; a moment that, over time, became like a scar on my brain — my mother moving down that crimson path, the ancient, knotted trees parting for her like a secret, the tall grass bowing like waves breaking on a beach, before her shadow disappeared into the sea.

No [wo] man is an island, and so many people have contributed to the existence of these stories, in ways large and small. I am grateful to more people than I can include here; I hope you know who you are.

My gratitude to the editors who first supported these stories: Abdel Shakur, Tracy Truels, and Meghan Savage at The Indiana Review ; Jill Myers and Stacey Swann at American Short Fiction ; Susan Muaddi Darraj at The Baltimore Review ; John Witte at The Northwest Review ; the staff of Third Coast ; Debra Liese at The Literary Review ; Junot Díaz at the Boston Review ; Hannah Tinti, Maribeth Batcha, and the rest of the amazing One Story staff; Elissa Bassist, Dave Eggers, and the Best American Nonrequired Reading selection committee; John Kulka, Natalie Danford, and Dani Shapiro of Best New American Voices ; Bill Henderson of the Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses series.

Thank you to the communities at Emerson College, Grub Street, Redivider, Ploughshares, West Branch, Memorious, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. A special thank you to Michael Collier, Jennifer Grotz, and Noreen Cargill for the opportunity to learn so much and to make so many unforgettable friends. And a special shout-out to the back office crew: you are all rock stars.

Thank you to all my friends — most especially James Scott, Henry Cheek, Shannon Derby, Matt Salesses, Josh Weil, Benjamin Percy, Bret Anthony Johnston, and Robin Lippincott. You all mean the world to me.

Thank you to every teacher I’ve ever had, in particular Philip Deaver, for helping me get started, and Margot Livesey, for her brilliant instruction and unfailing generosity.

Thank you to Don Lee, for his wisdom and friendship.

Thank you to Connie May Fowler, for her sisterhood.

Thank you to Jacquie Berger, for helping me find my way.

Thank you to Katherine Fausset of Curtis Brown for believing in these stories and for being such a trusted advisor and dedicated advocate — the best any writer could hope for.

Thank you to Dan Wickett, Steven Gillis, Steven Seighman, Keith Taylor, and everyone else at Dzanc Books for their support, faith, and dedication. I will be in your debt always.

Thank you to my family, immediate and extended. My parents, for whom this book is dedicated. My siblings: Egerton, Gladys, Alexander, Alicia, David, and CJ.

My grandmother, Ethel Merritt, who offered solace when it was needed.

And finally, my deepest thanks to Paul Yoon, for being there.