Christopher Hacker - The Morels

Maybe, just maybe, he can show Will the way.

A heartfelt thanks to Bob Dolan, first and foremost, for penning The Dead Guy’s Son and for the ensuing adventures in filmmaking that it inspired.

Thanks to Mark Doten, whose sharp eye and editorial telepathy transformed this manuscript into the novel I’d been hoping for.

And Bronwen Hruska, along with the rest of the Soho team for their outright enthusiasm, and for taking a chance on this book.

Thanks to Douglas Stewart, whose faith in my abilities is a bottomless well.

To John Bean, for helping me figure it all out.

Good friends Leigh Anderson, Zoe Finkel, Jason Grunebaum, and Melissa Kirsch: Thank you for your valuable feedback on a messy first draft. And thanks to other readers along the way for their time and kind words: Jami Attenberg, David Gordon, T Cooper, Margarita Shalina, Michael Seidenberg and Cale Hand.

Thank you to Columbia University mentors Victoria Redel and Binnie Kirshenbaum for their support and generous public praise. Also to Sigrid Nunez, Thomas Beller, Sam Lipsyte, and Jessica Hagedorn, other mentors whose teaching has been invaluable.

To the Owen Summer Residence Fellowship, for providing me with an environment perfectly suited to writing a book.

And, of course, a round of thanks to the Tracys: Catherine, Arnold, Claudia, Sam, Dee, Peter, Alec, Alexandra, and Aunt Joan Carvo. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive and encouraging group of in-laws.