I learned how to be curious from great teachers, especially Tom Rona, Sue Hovis, Roger Hindman, and Ron Kim. I learned how to write from great editors, especially Dean Murphy, Jim Aley, Dan Ferrara, and Jane Berentson (I often thought if I could do my job with one-tenth the sass and intelligence of Jane, I was doing pretty well). Wendell Jamieson and the Metro editors have been not only terrific editors but supportive of letting me work on the novel while I work at the Times. It is a privilege to be part of the staff of The New York Times, and to be a part of an organization trying to observe and explain the world.
My friends were terrifically supportive even when I was frantic with anxiety about this book. Erin Autry Montgomery and Irene So Hedges are the kinds of smart, funny, lifelong pals one hopes to make in college. Robin Pringle is a devoted friend who makes leaning in look awfully elegant. Caroline Han has amazed me since the day we met. Katie McClurg Anderson is warmth personified. Megan Wyatt has been a stalwart since long before she wore a detergent box and I wore a cocktail dress to appear in our elementary school play about Northwest trees. Andrew Mandel and Scott Resnick sang me through some of my favorite moments in New York. Friends like Sarah Goldstein, Kayleen Schaefer, and Reyhan Harmanci make this city a place I love living in. There are many, many others whom I admire and adore (that’s you! I see you!).
Several friends and acquaintances contributed directly to this book. Cynthia Collins Desai, a longtime, loyal, and hilarious friend, used her alarmingly good memory to help pinpoint hot spots in pre-financial crisis New York. They say it’s hard to make lifelong friends after thirty, but Jessica Silver-Greenberg proves otherwise, I hope: She is a brilliant colleague, marvelous friend, and uproarious gal, and her feedback was invaluable. Julie Bosman has been a terrific guide through the publishing world and a paragon of graceful work-life balance. Olivia Wassenaar graciously answered my questions about Upper East Side life. Jennifer Pooley’s feedback made this oodles better. Susan Bradanini Betz was a meticulous copy editor. Amor Towles, Nick Bilton, Tina Henry Bou-Saba, and Emma Frelinghuysen gave savvy advice about the book business and marketing. Courtney Sullivan, Maggie Shipstead, and Emma Straub kindly agreed to be early readers. Malcolm Gladwell’s perceptive read was enormously helpful. David Carr helped me, like he helped so many other writers, feel like I had the gumption to do this thing. I really miss him.
My extended family is full of creative people and I am lucky to be a part of it. From dancing down Forty-second Street with Joanne to talking life and love with Denis to watching Missy paint, time with them has enlivened my world. My godmother, Mara Jayne Miller, is stylish, sharp, and a total original.
I have huge admiration for Lee Clifford and Jerry Useem, who are coolheaded parents, supportive spouses, fun to be around, and have propped me up when I’m down many, many times. I forgive Lee for telling Santa that “Stephanie has been bad, very bad.”
My parents, Steve and Judy Clifford, encouraged reading and questioning, exposed me to art and music, and made me feel like I could take risks because they had my back. Their support and belief in me, and their enthusiasm for this book, has meant the world to me.
Thanks to Mac and Mabel, the best of writing companions.
Love and thanks to Steven, whose smiles in the morning show me that happiness needn’t be so complicated. He is joy.
Finally, when Bruce Headlam encouraged me to keep going with this novel, he said that it doesn’t matter what the end product is, but it matters that you try. He believes in living a creative, full life and works hard to make that a reality for us. While handling his extremely demanding job, he gave me time and space to write, he gave me advice, he let me vent when the book wasn’t working, and then he helped me get back to writing. I love him, I thank him, and hope he knows how much he counts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
STEPHANIE CLIFFORD is a Loeb Award–winning reporter at The New York Times. She grew up in Seattle and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and two cats. Follow her on Twitter at @stephcliff. You can sign up for email updates here.