If I Knew You Were Going to Be This Beautiful, I Never Would Have Let You Go (29 page)

S
pecial thanks to John Freeman for opening the door that led to
Granta
and my excellent agent, Sarah Burnes; to Amy Einhorn for loving the book and opening yet another door; and to Liz Stein for taking it over the finish line. Thanks also to the rest of the amazing team at Putnam/Penguin Random House: Ivan Held, Katie McKee, Lauren Truskowski, Kate Stark, Mary Stone, Lydia Hirt, and Arianna Romig, and to the lovely folks across the pond at Penguin UK: Marion Donaldson, Emma Holtz, Georgina Moore, Yeti Lambregts, and Jo Liddiard. Additional thanks to former
Granta
editors Patrick Ryan and Ted Hodgkinson; André Aciman and the Writers Institute at the CUNY Graduate Center; the Writers Institute first-fiction class for feedback on “Babies”; Karen Spear Ellinwood for her insights on “Catholic Girls”; and Barbara Greenwood and the New Bedford nightbirds for their input on “Adventures in Zombie Land”; always loved the image of you all on overnight, reading aloud. Love and gratitude to all the friends who have been there and been there, especially the ladies of the beach: Susan Allen, Linda Allen, Deborah Emr, Jenny Briggs, Glynnis Burke, Patricia Slattery, Mitty Smith, and Jean Sondergaard, and to Joe Becker, Cindy Burch, Tim Chandler (RIP), Lynn Duffy, Hank Kattan, Marcia Klugman, David Laibman, Linda Nahum, Maite Reyes, and Irene Roberts. Big love and tremendous thanks to my husband, David, who told me
now was the time to go for it, for all the reading and insightful editing, for riding around Brooklyn listening to Jimi Hendrix, and for the support that helped this book get written. Much appreciation to the New York Writers Coalition and to Melody Brooks and New Perspectives Theatre for providing spaces that helped keep the creative fires glowing. And finally, thanks to all the funky East Coast beach towns that served as home over the years and came together as Elephant Beach.

Judy Chicurel’s work has appeared in national and regional publications, including
Granta,
The New York Times,
and
Newsday
. Her plays and screenplays have been produced and performed in New York City and published internationally. She belongs to the New York Writers Coalition, was a fellow in the inaugural class of the fiction writing program at the Writers’ Institute at the CUNY Graduate Center, and is a past resident of the New Perspectives Women’s Work Playwrights’ Lab. She has developed writing programs for high school students and facilitated writing workshops for teens and adults in New York City. Judy lives in Brooklyn, New
York.