Elisa Albert: How This Night Is Different: Stories

Martha Levin, Dominick Anfuso, Jennifer Weidman, Susan H. Llewellyn, and everyone at Free Press, for their dedication to this book and their unwavering support of its author.

Binnie Kirshenbaum: superlative teacher, generous den mother, and dear friend.

Jayne Anne Phillips, David Gates, Lorrie Moore, Sam Lipsyte, Mary Campbell, and Mark Slouka, for their example, crucial encouragement, and helpful suggestions.

Jonny Segura, Thaddeus Bower, Robin Kirman, Nellie Hermann, Johanna Lane, Andrew Newberg, Chris Warner, Heather Samples, and all of my excellent colleagues at Columbia, for camaraderie, line edits, and beyond.

Abigail Judge, much-beloved nemesis.

Joel Farkas, regardless and forever.

Susan Schaefer Albert, Heidi Factor Anderson, Amnon Adrabi, and Bill Schaefer, for bettering a complicated family.

Irwin Hearst, for being here, and Helen Seltzer Bilski Albert, Beatrice Levinson Hearst, Frank Albert, and Harry Bilski, for having been.

The memory of David Lawrence Albert.

Good eggs near and far, for knowing exactly who they are and for the priceless gift of their love and belief in me.

And most of all Heather Magidsohn, Sarah Toner, and Jackie Cohen, whose friendship has been my greatest blessing.

Elisa Albert received an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. She lives in Brooklyn, where she is at work on a novel.