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Acknowledgments
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■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Acknowledgments Writing a book is a profoundly personal endeavor, but thankfully, I was never in it alone. Many friends, colleagues, students, and family members helped to bring this work to its present form. It is a pleasure to thank them here. I must first express my indebtedness to the thirty young women who were gracious enough to share their very intimate stories with me so that, together, we might give voice to aspects of women’s lives too often kept private. Although their names have been changed in this text, their identities are forever etched in my mind and my heart. I am deeply appreciative of the time and energy that several people put into reading drafts of the manuscript, helping me work through the data, and offering feedback and encouragement. Michelle Fine has been a supportive mentor, a critical reader, and a cherished friend. She helped me give birth to this project, and has seen me through to its completion. Her wit and wisdom have stretched my thinking and inspired me to move from “what is” to “what could be.” Jeanne Marecek provided thoughtful feedback on the manuscript and made important suggestions that strengthened this work. Her insights and enthusiasm for this project helped propel it forward. Demie Kurz and Vicki Smith gave generously of their time and insight, pointing me in valuable directions, offering supportive feedback, and helping me clarify my thinking about complex and politically provocative issues. Sara Ruddick read my work with care and offered valuable insights ; I am grateful for both her camaraderie and her intellectual rigor. Many friends deserve thanks (and merit badges) for their encouragement and insights. Lisa Handler challenged my thinking and refueled my energies, lending her brilliant mind, good humor, and constant support. Nancie Zane reminded me to trust my own process and engaged with me in countless stimulating conversations about research, ethics, and social change. Jackie Cunliffe Emini offered helpful insights and was always ready with a pep talk at a moment’s notice. Rhoda Unger’s generous friendship and rich, provocative scholarship both deepened my thinking and warmed my heart. Arnie Kahn’s enthusiasm for this project helped keep me motivated, and our conversations about sexuality and violence enriched my work. Jennifer Milici, Deb Tolman, and Maria Torre enhanced my thinking about gender, power, and sexuality through ongoing and delightful conversations about our work and our commitments to social change. Pearl Rosenberg and Dana Kaminstein helped me think through issues of power and subjectivity and made the research a much friendlier process. Elizabeth Sayre and Maureen Cotterill provided much-appreciated intellectual, emotional, and technical support during the research phase of this project. And throughout the process, Scott VonRhee provided a welcomed sense of balance with his warmth and humor. My colleagues at Eugene Lang College of the New School have provided me an invigorating intellectual home. In particular, I wish to thank Nancy Barnes, Jennifer Fondiller, Jerma Jackson, Trace Jordon, Gary Lemons, Suzanne Obeler, Ann Snitow, René Alexander, and Gregory Tewksbury, both for their inspiring work and for our conversations about the intersections of scholarship and social justice. Bea Banu, Toni Oliviero, and David Rosenberg have given me tremendous support in my work and helped create a space where teaching, theory, and research can thrive. Gail Persky has been a true comrade and an enthusiastic reader of my work. All researchers should be so fortunate as to have access to the expertise and support of Gail and her staff at the New School’s Fogelman Library. Thank you to Amos Himmelstein, Verna deLaMothe, Monica Kassan, Joe Chartier, and Amy Funes for everything from help with the photocopier to keeping me laughing throughout the process of data collection and writing. I am especially grateful to my students at Eugene Lang College xiv ❙ Acknowledgments [44.223.40.255] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 16:11 GMT) and the University of Pennsylvania for their invaluable contributions to my thinking about the interview data. Their critical reflections enhanced my own understandings of young women’s negotiations of complex and difficult life circumstances. A special thank you goes to Lynne McMahon, who took gentle care of my mind and my spirit, and prodded me to keep moving when times got tough. She has been an inspiring role model, a careful reader, and a compassionate teacher. I also wish to thank Judy Eidelson, whose warmth and insights helped me work through both my excitement and anxieties about this project, and kept me focused...