This book would not exist without the open arms of the Michener Center, specifically Jim Magnuson, Michael Adams, Elizabeth McCracken, Marla Akin, and Debbie Deweese. The idea for this novel was born in a history writing course with H. W. Brands. My cohort at the Michener Center remains a fierce force of greatness. Extended thanks go to Ben Roberts, Carolina Ebeid, Kate Finlinson, and Shamala Gallagher. Mimi Chubb was an early reader, and this book is better for her comments. Kevin Powers helped me bring my work to a bigger audience, and I am grateful for his support.
My colleagues and students at the Khabele School have been instrumental in the creation of this novel, offering feedback, encouragement, and accountability. I finished this novel with my students. Tyler Clayton asked me every day if I’d worked on the book. In response to an early draft, Atticus Tait suggested I spend more time with Marie; her sections stemmed from his advice.
The amazing Mauro clan gave me a beautiful, quiet space to finish my revisions. Eric and Jaclyn Mann, Kelley and Nate Janes, Ryan Phillips, John Mulvany, and Ashleigh Pedersen are the best fan club anyone could ask for. They’re damn good friends, too.
My agent, Peter Straus, is an incredible editor and advocate, and he’s responsible for reviving my own belief in my work. My editors at Scribner, Nan Graham and Daniel Loedel, are not only brilliant but delightful to work with. I am so fortunate to reap the benefits of their keen observations and insights.
My thanks go to Maggie McCall, whose loyalty and strength are alive in her namesake. Bethany Flint’s morality and resilience flow through the pages of this book.
I became a writer under the mentorship of the poet Loren Graham, and he remains one of my most valued readers and friends. Special thanks and love to Fiona McFarlane, the perfect guide to this adventure and the most wonderful person I know.
And lastly, I thank my family. Margot, thank you for your inspiring discipline, your unapologetic and rigid morals, and your tremendous encouragement and love. Hannah, you are mature and wise beyond your years, and you’ve woven your way into the heart of this book in more ways than even I know. And finally, to Luke Muszkiewicz, my greatest and oldest advocate. You have been challenging and supporting me since I was nineteen, and you have never wavered in your faith in my work. I am here because of your trust, love, and patience. Thank you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photograph by Suzanne Koet
Virginia Reeves is a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin. Her fiction has appeared in The Common and The Baltimore Review and has been short-listed for the Tennessee Williams Fiction Contest and the Alexander Patterson Cappon Fiction Award. She has spent the majority of her life in Montana, but currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two daughters. Work Like Any Other is her first novel.
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