Acknowledgements

Many authors, artists, and associates contributed to this novel, either by critique or encouragement.

First and foremost, while I’m not certain if it is politically correct to say this anymore, I’ve been blessed with the support of strong women throughout my life. My wife, Ann, took over for my mother, Marilyn, nearly 40 years ago. They made this work possible by expressing faith and encouragement in unquantifiable and sensible ways. I know it goes well beyond the food! Thank you.

Chris Rayburn, a photographer (www.chrisrayburn.photos), reviewed my earliest work and didn’t wrinkle his nose too badly, which I took as a rousing endorsement. For reference, Chris did NOT do the headshot in the About the Author section. He has standards. I have visited Chris’s studio many times and have great appreciation for his attentiveness to even the smallest detail. My wife and I own some of his work, if such work can truly be owned…

Paul Lewellan, a seasoned author of short stories, served as an infinitely patient writing coach. After three full critiques and innumerable phone calls and zoom meetings, I had to call it. I doubt he was done. I tipped him insufficiently with a bottle of Writer’s Tears! Paul has published over 50 short stories, and though brilliant, his work is a little hard to find. A recent sample can be found at (www.kalopsialit.org/issue-i/paul-lewellan/). He is working on a compilation and I can't wait!

Sophia Elaine Hanson (www.sophiaelainehanson.com) was already such an accomplished author of novels and poetry that she shouldn’t have taken me seriously. But she did. Proles is much better for her involvement. I met Sophia when she was just a child. I was an early reader of her first award-winning novel, Vinyl, which she published when just seventeen years old. Sophia is a brilliant storyteller in her own right. As a content editor, Sophia quickly digested a mid-term draft of Proles, providing ample suggestions to help the story along without corrupting my plot lines or characters. She is a diligent author’s helper; expert in her genre; and importantly, a pleasure to work with.

LaVina Vanorny-Barcus, an author of novels and children’s books, spent some miraculously productive time helping me figure out what to do with the manuscript. She read the completed work and paid me a compliment. Although gratuitous, it gave me enough confidence to call it “ready”. She gave me the encouragement and guidance to take on next steps. I enjoyed her novel Because of My Love for Lauren, but her most popular book is My Czech Heritage Cookbook. Her children’s books deserve more acclaim. Check them out and I’m confident you will agree! All are available on Amazon.

Elle J. Rossi of Evernight Designs (www.evernightdesigns.com) translated my clumsy, adjective-rich description of a cover idea flawlessly and quickly. I worked with Elle entirely virtually and never heard her voice. Normally, that doesn’t work well, but it did with her. She was uniquely attentive, professional, and really good!

Callie Heiderscheit interrupted her Australian adventure to perform the final proof-read and nurtured the backflap description into maturity. If it pops, it’s because of Callie. As the proofreader she was extremely diligent, providing references for delicate corrections, and researching precedents for any literary tricks embedded in the grammar. As a bonus, she was instructive. She helped sort out my style choices. She encouraged their deliberate use when they were effective, and she pointed out when they were dilutive or worse, distracting from the book’s readability. Please judge for yourself! I will seek Callie’s services again in the future and will consider myself lucky if she is available.

Tony Lorentzen, my cousin, listened to me whine for about an hour each week as I was completing the manuscript and deciding what to do with it. Then he read it and compared it to American Dirt, which he had also read recently. He said they are both about ¾” thick. Good enough for me!

Fred (Rip) Engle, a friend since college who always complimented me with more credit than I deserved, encouraged me to continue working on Proles even when I was ready to throw away the most recent draft. Apparently, he has little concern for how much time I waste! He recently paid me the even bigger compliment of reading it, and sharing it broadly within his community. My debts to Rip continue to build!

Over 25 copies signed at Dunn Brothers on April 3. A most special “new” reader!