Activism and the American Novel: Religion and Resistance in Fiction by Women of Color

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments This book is the result of the intellectual rapport, mentoring, friendship, love, and support I received while writing it, and I am indebted to all who made it possible. Three extraordinary mentors deserve my most profound gratitude: Marianne DeKoven, who served as director of the project at its dissertation stage and has always supported me; Barbara McCaskill, who epitomizes what a mentor and public scholar should be; and Nancy Peterson, a much-admired scholar who has become a dear friend. Their encouragement, guidance, and generosity are models for lived feminist/womanist praxis. I owe them a debt that I can never repay. Other mentors, colleagues, and friends supported me through the writing process. Heartfelt thanks are due to John McClure, Daphne Lamothe, and Renée Bergland, who read early drafts of the project and offered invaluable advice. I am also indebted to Christy Burns, who was foundational to my intellectual and feminist growth. My sincerest thanks to my friends and colleagues in English and Women’s Studies at Union College and the University of Georgia. There are too many to name them all, but I would be remiss if I did not thank Judith Ortiz Cofer, Ed Pavlic, Valerie Babb, Susan Rosenbaum, Tricia Lootens, Doug Anderson, Harry Marten, Jim and Carol McCord, and my fellow junior colleagues in the trenches, especially Chloe Wigston-Smith and Cynthia Camp. My students at the University of Georgia also aided in the writing process; our engaged class discussions helped me to clarify my argument , and the project is better for it. Among my friends and colleagues viii / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS at other universities, Stephanie Fitzgerald, Angela Mullis, and Anthony Lioi are especially appreciated for expanding my thinking in innumerable ways. I would also like to thank LeAnne Howe, Jace Weaver and Laura Adams Weaver, and Daniel Heath Justice for their support of my writing and teaching. The support I received from a Willson Center Research Fellowship and a Sarah H. Moss Fellowship from the University of Georgia, along with Humanities Development Grants from Union College, were indispensable to this project. A portion of chapter 3 appeared in an earlier form as “Creating the Beloved Community: Religion, Race, and Nation in Toni Morrison’s Paradise.” Reprinted from African American Review 39.3 (Fall 2005). A portion of chapter 5 appeared in an earlier form as “Envisioning a ‘Network of Tribal Coalitions’: Leslie Marmon Silko’s Almanac of the Dead” in American Indian Quarterly 26.4 (Fall 2002), and is reprinted here with the permission of the University of Nebraska Press. I greatly benefitted from the helpful comments made by both journals ’ anonymous reviewers. Thanks also to Cathie Brettschneider, my editor at the University of Virginia Press, and Tim Roberts, the managing editor at the American Literatures Initiative, for their support of this project, as well as their professionalism. I am indebted to the anonymous readers for the Press; their thoughtful and insightful revision suggestions helped to strengthen my argument. I owe special thanks to my dearest friends and family; without their support this book would not have been possible. Brian Norman has been a model for the kind of scholar and person I want to be. Justina Allocca-Conte’s unfailing friendship and support have been invaluable. Leslie Boby-Sabatinelli and Dean Sabatinelli saved me from myself when writing made me crazy. Aidan Wasley and Kim Kersey provided weekly encouragement, advice, and laughter. I am especially grateful for my family’s support throughout the writing process; it meant more than I can express. Chris Pizzino deserves the greatest thanks and appreciation. He tirelessly read numerous drafts, helped me refine and clarify the project’s intellectual stakes, and offered invaluable patience and support. This is a stronger book because of him. Activism and the American Novel ...