Sufficient Grace (35 page)
As this book began under the auspices of the Creative Writing MA program at the University of Melbourne, I would like to recognise the unwavering support of my supervisor, Marion May Campbell. Tony Birch, my Creative Writing PhD supervisor, was also instrumental in the development and extension of my work. The encouragement provided to me by the students, friends and mentors I met through the program was â and continues to be â invaluable. I owe special thanks to Josiane Behmoiras, Claire Thomas, Victoria Reeve, Kate Middleton, Olivia Fitzgibbon, and the Friday night gang. Also, I wish to recognise the members of Men's Group, including Michael Farrell, Julian Novitz, Kent MacCarter, Aaron Mannion and Emmett Stinson. Many other friends and colleagues have contributed to the manuscript, including Michelle Walter, Penelope Goodes, Ali Lemer and Stefan Laszczuk.
Sections of
Sufficient Grace
were previously published in altered form; I appreciate the contribution of the editors of
Postgraduate Review
,
Strange
,
antiTHESIS
and
Wet Ink
.
My dear friends Michele Halvorson Michaels and Mike Kramer passed away during the writing of this book; I honour their memory. For those I have forgotten or cannot mention, IÂ very much value your help.
Thanks also to the Felix Meyer Scholarship for Literature 2007, which granted funds for me to revise the manuscript. The Unpublished Manuscript Prize for an Emerging Victorian Writer in the 2009 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards also provided many opportunities for me, including meeting a dear friend, Catherine Harris; and my encouraging and expert agent, Clare Forster of Curtis Brown. I'm grateful for the entire team at Scribe Publications, including the graciously meticulous Ian See. The guidance, insistence and understanding of my editor and publisher, Aviva Tuffield, have remained steady throughout a very difficult time. Without her belief in me and the manuscript, I may have never finished the book. My gratitude is permanent.
I wish to acknowledge the steadfast support of my family, especially my siblings Ryan, Lori and May, their families, and my parents Byron and Judith. My father taught me to hunt and fish, and my mother taught me to read and love; all of these skills were necessary to write this book. The love and care of my family in Australia, especially Brad Turner and Aaron Mannion, carried me throughout the creation of
Sufficient Grace
. Brad, you brought me here. Aaron, you kept me here; you are my favourite writer and my best friend.
Finally, I appreciate that although this is a work of fiction, people close to me â now or in the past â may read this novel as a betrayal of both the family and church in which IÂ was raised. I have not intended to cause any hurt. I wrote what IÂ was given to write.