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I have benefitted from a wide and varied amount of support in writing this book. First and foremost I would like to thank my colleagues and students at East Tennessee State University (etsu), with particular appreciation for the intellectual volley with colleagues Tony Cavender, Lindsey King, Bill Duncan, Joseph Baker, and Amber Kinser. I also appreciate the efforts of chairs, Martha Copp and Leslie McCallister, and Dean Gordon Anderson. This project has greatly benefitted from generous internal research support from etsu. The character of the university and the cultural richness and beauty of Appalachia remind me daily that my choice to return to the region was the correct one. I also greatly appreciate the research support from Marquette University, my prior stomping grounds. During my time at Marquette I was active in a small writing group whose members deserve a long overdue thank you: Molly Doane, Jane Peterson, and Carol Archbold. I remember our Saturday morning coffeehouse fondly. The most substantial formal support for this project came to me in the form of a writing fellowship by the American Association of University Women. The fellowship offered much needed time and validation for the project. The publication process with the University of Nebraska Press has been a smooth and rewarding process. I thank acknowledgments x Acknowledgments Senior Acquisitions Editor Matthew Bokovoy for pursuing the project. Matthew has been both efficient and insightful . His broad knowledge on the issues involved in this project illuminated nuances of the writing that, I must admit , I often did not know were there. Thanks, also, to the anonymous reviewers for their time, effort, and feedback. On a more personal note, I owe much to my husband, Keith, and sons, Cameron and Quinn. My parents, Marie and Walter Schrift, have always kept the faith in my writing . I offer a special nod to my mother for showing me my first Melungeon article. I thank my father for passing on his love of the water and teaching me how to swim. I actually mean this literally, though the metaphorical applies equally well. Thanks to the continued energy and support of the Pilkey family, who have closed ranks in a difficult year and reminded me how fortunate I am to be one of them. Finally , I owe much gratitude to my sisters, Tani Schrift and Stacy Beneville, who keep me both grounded and laughing. ...

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