Acknowledgments
I am grateful to the many Los Angeles-based people who shared their time and interest in the river with me, particularly these artists: Jaqueline De Angelis, Joe Linton, the late Lewis MacAdams, Thea Mercouffer, Jenny Price, Michael Tweed, David Wilson, and George Wolfe.
Back in Oberlin, generous funding from the college made fieldwork possible but also enabled me to work with brilliant Research Assistants through the years. I make deep bows to Sophia Bamert, Josh Davidson, Natina Gilbert, Chris Herndon, Nolan Scharper, and Bennett Walls.
Many Oberlin friends and colleagues contributed to the project along the way, through discussion, feedback, and by asking questions about the questions I was asking. Special thanks go to Christa Champion, Sebastiaan Faber, Ally Fulton, Mary Garvin, Heather Hogan, Laurie McMillin, Megan Mitchell, Tom Newlin, Karl Offen, Pam Snyder, Hal Sundt, and Chris Trinacty.
Interest and support from scholars at other institutions enriched my thinking and writing at key moments in the last decade; I am deeply indebted to Cat Ashcraft, Katie Kilroy Blaser, Dan Brayton, Allison Carruth, Abhik Chakraborty, Cheryll Glotfelty, Rochelle Johnson, John Lane, Tamar Mayer, Larry Needham, Dana Plays, Scott Slovic, Manu Sobti, and Clarissa von Spee.
The project would never have begun nor would have been completed without the inspiration, nurture, and encouragement from family. My sons Liam and Jack, my dad Henry (1923–2021), and the one true Queen of My World guided and aided me through their river explorations, literary and philosophical conversations, suggestions for revision, and mostly, unswervingly, through the daily miracles of loving and sharing life together.
Since the 1970s, Steve List has been my best buddy. Without his friendship, his interest in the project, and his willingness to accompany me for much of the fieldwork, the research for Strange Waters would have taken even longer, would have been even more dangerous, and would have been a whole lot less fun. This book is dedicated to him.