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>> ix Acknowledgments It turns out that when you write a book about noise, everyone has a story for you. Over the several years that I worked on this project, I gathered anecdotes from what seemed like nearly everyone I met. At conferences and weddings , reunions and dinner parties, family gatherings and children’s birthday celebrations, I listened as old friends and new acquaintances told me about sounds they loved or hated, things they heard while traveling, or disputes that had transpired in the towns where they grew up. Everyone seemed to have a story, and that turned out to be one of the most unexpected joys of writing this book. When it came to religion, sound, and public space, everyone had something to say. Some of these stories made it into the book. Others did not. But each of them shaped my thinking in important ways, and I am grateful to everyone who took the time to speak with me. Above all, I must express my deep appreciation to Thomas Tweed and Randall Styers, who nurtured this project during its initial stages at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). All students should feel as fortunate as I do to have had such wonderful mentors. Tom and Randall cared for me as a scholar and as a person. They encouraged me, they taught me, they pushed me, and they inspired me. They gave me space to explore and to pursue ideas wherever they led while always knowing just when to rein me back in. They believed in my work, and they believed in me. Since my departure from UNC, they have continued to offer invaluable guidance and support. This book would not have been possible without them. I also want to thank Jason Bivins, Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, and Grant Wacker, whose critical feedback helped me to reimagine this project in crucial ways. Jason has been both mentor and friend, and I continue to value our conversations about scholarship, music, and football. Wini has always been extraordinarily generous with her time, and she taught me to think differently about religion and law. Grant always knew just when to offer criticism and when to offer compassion. I particularly appreciated the latter. x > xi presenting material from this book at annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion, the American Society of Church History, the American Studies Association, and the Association for the Study of Law, Culture, and the Humanities, as well as the 2010 Congress of the International Association for the History of Religion and at conferences at Yale University, Georgetown University, Duke University, Florida State University, and the University of Amsterdam. Other panelists, respondents, and audience members offered valuable feedback, comments, and suggestions, all of which sharpened my thinking. I especially want to acknowledge Sally Promey, Rosalind Hackett, Colleen McDannell, Kathleen Moore, Peter Williams, David Holmes, Jeremy Stolow, Gretchen Buggeln, Jeanette Jouili, Annelies Moors, and Brian Larkin . I also received words of encouragement from other scholars engaged in studying the senses, including David Howes, Constance Classen, David Morgan , S. Brent Plate, Mark M. Smith, and Hillel Schwartz. Many friends read chapters, suggested resources, or provided intellectual stimulation in other ways, including Chad Seales, Jenna Tiitsman, Katie Lofton, Bart Scott, Kathy Foody, Brandi Denison, Jenna Gray-Hildenbrand, Annalise Glauz-Todrank, and Angie Heo. Special thanks to Joshua Dubler, who read the entire manuscript as it was nearing completion and offered invaluable feedback. At New York University Press, Jennifer Hammer has been all that I could have hoped for in an editor, and I am so grateful for her support. She saw the potential in this project long before many others did and has been encouraging me in it for several years, since long before we established a formal contractual relationship. Over that time, she read innumerable drafts of proposals, outlines, and chapters, and her thoughtful feedback always made them stronger. I am delighted to have this book included as part of New York University Press’s North American Religions series, and I want to express my gratitude to the series editors, Tracy Fessenden, Laura Levitt, and David Watt. They have each been enthusiastic backers of the project while also offering valuable critical responses to it. I really appreciate their efforts to shape the future of our field. I also want to thank the anonymous readers, whose thoughtful comments helped me to sharpen the book’s arguments and to frame its conclusions more broadly. At the heart of this book are...

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