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Acknowledgments
- University of Georgia Press
- Chapter
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vii it is common in acknowledgments for authors to thank their editors. But in our case, we owe more than a debt of gratitude to Derek Krissoff, our wonderfully supportive editor at the University of Georgia Press. The Since 1970: Histories of Contemporary America series was really Derek’s idea. What about a book series that published only works of recent history, perhaps those that focused on events since 1970? he asked Renee at a history conference a few short years ago. Begun in a conversation over drinks, then a set of notes that became a proposal, the series was launched last year. This anthology is among the first works published in that series. So first and foremost, we would like to thank Derek for his intellectual insight that this was a project whose time had come; his belief that we were the people who could do it; his enthusiastic support for both the book series and this anthology; and for his skills in seeing a volume through to publication . And, of course, we need to thank him for all the subsequent drinks we have imbibed and meals we have eaten at history conferences while talking about the book series and this anthology. Renee would most like to thank her coeditor, Claire Potter. Claire has been a mentor and friend for more years than I care to admit, and it has been a highlight of my professional career to have the opportunity to work with her closely on a collaborative project. I moved to a new institution, Oberlin College, just as the Since 1970 series was getting under way, and I am blessed to have wonderful colleagues here who have been supportive of this project and of my work more generally. Finally, I would like to thank my family. My husband, Sean Decatur, has been his usual supportive self, cheerfully listening to me talk through my ideas and challenges related to Acknowledgments viii acknowledgments this work, while my children, Sabine and Owen, proved willing conspirators whenever I needed a break. Claire is indebted to Renee Romano for her shrewd intelligence, her ability to keep things moving, and for being the colleague and friend with whom everyone would like to work but is rarely able to. This series, and the book, are a small piece of the story of what I have learned from her and what we have accomplished together. By imagining this anthology, and bringing her experience editing another book to the collaboration, she ensured that our friendship would more than survive her move to Oberlin: it would flourish. It has been a particular pleasure to work with Derek. I first met him as a seminar student at Wesleyan University a very long time ago, and he has long since established himself as a friend and colleague. When Renee led me over to the University of Georgia Press booth at a conference to sketch out a couple of ideas, it was clear that the three of us were a match. At Wesleyan, I would like to thank all my colleagues at the Center for the Americas for their constant encouragement; the Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs First Fund and history department colleagues for a grant that paid for research cited in my own chapter; and Academic Affairs for the travel and grant money it has devoted to this project. Although e-mail and cell phones have sped up collaborations dramatically since Arthur Schlesinger’s day, sometimes an airplane and a hotel room just work better. In the final days of preparing this manuscript, Lila and Harry Jacob opened their beautiful home in Ely, Minnesota, to a historian who needed only peace, quiet, and good cheer to make it to the finish line. Most important, I would like to thank my partner, Nancy Barnes, whose energy, affection, advice, and editorial skills always make things so much better than they would be if I tried to do them alone. We would also like to thank Estelle Freedman and Susan Ware. As dissertation advisors, Estelle and Susan were the first to introduce us to the methodology of researching and writing history. We are indebted to them for pushing our work while we were in school and for their continued support ever since. Finally, we look back over our shoulders at two years with the authors in this volume. Their hard work, vision, and willingness to push just a little harder to get things right made this book happen. Thank you. Oberlin, Ohio New...