Desire and the Divine: Feminine Identity in White Southern Women's Writing

Acknowledgments

acknowledgments this book has been the work of many years and has undergone numerous changes and versions. although it started as a doctoral dissertation, it barely resembles those early drafts. Because of the time span of my life that this project has covered, and because this book, like all others, is the work of more than just a writer, there is no way to acknowledge everyone who has influenced its writing. Still, i am honored and humbled to thank even some of the friends, colleagues, and family who have made this effort possible. For their support in the earliest stages, i cannot strongly enough thank those who worked with me at tulane university, especially the committee who reviewed this when it was still a dissertation. dr. Barry ahearn and dr. Felipe Smith provided valuable insights and essential challenges that strengthened not only the arguments but my way of thinking about the core issues. dr. rebecca Mark read multiple versions of this text and offered scholarly expertise, wisdom, and friendship, often when i needed it most. Louisiana State university Press, especially editors John easterly, Margaret h. Lovecraft, and Lee Sioles have been amazingly wonderful to work with and have made my first manuscript experience an easy and friendly one. Fred hobson, editor of the Southern Literary Studies series, offered the manuscript a home and provided a reading that helped give me new and confident insights. i would also like to offer my gratitude to the administrations of both tulane and alabama State universities who were generous with resources and funding so that i could travel for research and to conferences where i presented the early versions of the ideas contained in these pages. as well, my colleagues and students at both universities were patient and understanding while i worked to complete the manuscript . and last, but not least, there is a group of people who have been x | Acknowledgments essential to my life during the completion of this project. i cannot thank these people enough, and merely mentioning them here seems far too meager a thank you, but i hope they know just how valuable they have been to me. My family, especially my mother, dorrina, and my father, ernest, have provided unending inspiration and listened to me talk about this project for much longer than i have actually been working on it. i would be a lesser woman without their support and love. Many thanks go out to Gary richards for being my mentor and friend and providing support in every way from discussing ideas to reading papers to listening to me vent to performing weddings; to Bill Kte’pi for the great conversations on writing and the (perhaps even greater) food; to Lindsey, alicia, Vic, robert, rob, tiffany, russ, and Susan for not kicking me out of the group despite all the nights i ditched you all for long hours of writing; to taylor Lindberg for offering love and emotional support during some rough patches; and, from the very bottom of my heart, to Mark hill for being the most amazing partner and spouse i could have asked for. not only did he offer his love and support, as a fellow scholar he provided invaluable support as reader, editor, listener, and philosopher. never could i have imagined finding someone with whom i could be so perfectly matched. thank you. Desire and the Divine This page intentionally left blank ...