Table of Contents
Letting the Weight Fall Forward
Etruscan Press is Proud of Support Received From
Acknowledgments
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the editors of the following books, contests, and journals in which some of these essays first appeared: Apollo’s Lyre, “Island Rose”; The Bend, “Body of a Dancer”; Black Canyon Quarterly, “Attending a Wedding: NYC”; Cadillac Cicatrix, “Theatrical Release”; Keyhole , “Audition # 99” and “Dancing in the Park”; Mid-American Review, “Graham Crackers,” which was named a “Notable Essay” by Best American Essays 2006 and won the Associated Writers Programs “Intro to Journals Project,” Nonfiction Category; Notre Dame Review, “Holy Feet,” which was named a “Notable Essay” by Best American Essays 2010; Open Face Sandwich, “Ballerina Blunders & a Few Male Danseurs,” which was named a “Notable Essay” by Best American Essays 2009; Redwood Coast Review, “Daniela Can Fly”; and Under the Sun, “Attending a Wedding: Paris.” I am grateful to Robert Gottlieb for including “Graham Crackers” in the anthology Reading Dance, which he edited (Pantheon Books, 2008).
Several authors and publishers granted fair use permission for quotations used within this text, and I would particularly like to thank and acknowledge the following: Joan Brady and her memoir The Unmaking of a Dancer: An Unconventional Life; Peter Kurth and his book Isadora: A Sensational Life (Little, Brown & Company); and Robert Greskovic for his marvelous resource Ballet 101: A Complete Guide to Learning & Loving the Ballet. Thank you to Frederick T. Courtright, President of The Permissions Company, Inc., who generously provided needed advice.
Numerous colleagues, editors, and friends provided support and suggestions during all stages of writing this book—thank you, all, including: Lois Adams, Mindy Aloff, Lisa Anderson, Leilani Arthurs, Alexandra Asbury, Janet Asbury, Peter Awn and Columbia University School of General Studies, Michael Bassett and Sandra Kaufmann, Mary Batten, Kate Baxter, Stefanie Batten Bland, Robert Bland, Carolyn Boschi, Beth Caldwell, Kathleen Canavan, Diana Capriotti, Sandy Compton, Uttara Asha Coorlawala, Great Aunt Mary Cope, Debra Gail Courtney, Jo Dearsley, Tony D’Souza, Lloyd Duman and Loralee Haarr and the North Idaho College English Department, Judy Ellis, Stacey Engels, Pat Engstrom, Paul Engstrom, Danna Ephland, Julie Evans, Lynn Garafola, Katie Glasner, Anna Hardwick, Andrea Harris, Maggie Herold, Coleen Hoover, Stephen Kessler, Michael Kimball, Robert Kiwala, Claudia La Rocco, Maria Mercurio, Karen Michel, Carol Moldaw, Georges Montillet, Dinty W. Moore, Peter Mugavero, Patricia N. Nanon, Andi and Lance Olsen, Kunle Owolabi, Barbara Palfy, Abigail Palko’s brother, Wendy Perron, Gloria Ray and Suzanne Sawyer and the East Bonner County Library District, David Reuther, Rhonda Rubinson, Rhoda Sanford, Dr. Dorothy E. Saxton, J.D. Schraffenberger, Marian Sher-rett, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, John Sitter and Kate Raven, Janet Mansfield Soares and the Barnard College Department of Dance, Michael Steinberg, Truffle, the University of Notre Dame and the Notre Dame Creative Writing Program including MFA workshop members 2004-2006, the United States Postal Service including Cindy in Clark Fork and Junie in Hope, Rose and Bryan Wade, William Walsh, Thomas Warfield, Heidemarie Z. Weidner, Josh Weiss, Lili Yearsley Williams, Christopher Everett Wolf, Myra Woodruff, and Nancy Wozny. And to my teachers, with gratitude and affection, including: Mary Anthony, Wendy Arons, Dan Balaguy, Robert Battistini, W. Martin Bloomer, Susan Charlotte, Cornelius Eady, Austin Flint, Sonia Gernes, Sandra M. Gustafson, Flemming Halby, Alexis Hoff, Colette Inez, Ted McNeilsmith, Noël Mason, Marjorie Mussman, Nancy Rekow, Francia Russell, Valerie Sayers, Mark Slouka, J.T. Stewart, Steve To-masula, Dale Worsley, and Kevin Wynn. Robert A. Ferguson read an early draft of the manuscript and continues to provide valuable direction and support; I extend my heartfelt gratitude for his friendship and love of all things lovely, including trees.
I am indebted to Nicholas Sparks for providing the