Walk like a Man
Page 20
Some things just need to be said.
I usually start my acknowledgements pages with a caveat, and it’s even more important with this book: the things I got right, I had a lot of help with. Any mistakes are entirely my own.
This might sound corny, considering this whole book is an acknowledgement of sorts, but it needs to be said: Bruce? Thank you for everything.
I’d like to thank Rob Sanders, who asked me to write this book, and the folks at Greystone, who worked with me on making it a reality.
I’d like to thank my editor, Barbara Pulling, for whipping my prose and punctuation into shape, and curbing some of my excesses, and my copy editor, Pam Robertson, for saving me from myself.
I’d like to thank my agent, Anne McDermid, and her associates, all of whom remain utterly unfazed when I throw curveballs their way.
I’d like to thank Anne Collins, my publisher at Random House, for her understanding and flexibility when it comes to projects like this.
I’d like to take a moment to recognize and thank the massive community of Bruce Springsteen fans around the world. There is no fact so hidden that someone doesn’t know it, no magazine article so old that someone can’t find it, no setlist so obscure that someone can’t talk about it. I can’t express how much I appreciate being the beneficiary of that accrued knowledge—I really couldn’t have written this book without it.
It’s more than knowledge, though: it’s genuine community, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.
This being in part a memoir, I am indebted to the understanding and support of the people I’ve written about. Peter and Greg, my friends, my brothers, thank you. Not just for the book—for everything. Drinks are on me, when we three meet again.
There are a lot of other people in this book, as well. Family, friends from the various times of my life, acquaintances, and strangers—I am indebted to you all. As I was writing, I was careful to tell my stories, and avoid those that weren’t mine to tell. I hope that nothing in these pages gives offense, or causes pain—that was certainly not my intention.
I am indebted to my early readers. Deep thanks to my mother, Greg, Peter, Colin, Clare, Stacey May, and Athena for their insights and support.
CLOSER TO HOME . . .
A considerable debt of gratitude to Domenique Rosenblum for her patience and understanding. A struggling writer has never had a better landlady.
Xander, thank you. I know you understand what it’s like to be bubbling over with an obsession. You’re not that pointy-headed little baby any more, and I didn’t realize, as overwhelmed and blown away as I was the day you were born, that those feelings wouldn’t fade, that they’d grow stronger every day.
And Cori.
It’s a cliché to say that words don’t do something justice, but anyone who’s read this far knows that “thank you” is really insufficient when it comes to you, Cor. For more than two decades you’ve been with me every step of the way, and I shudder to think of how those years would have been, who I would have become, without you.
I’ve said it before and I stand by it: you’re the strongest woman I know. This book was a hard one, on a number of levels, and you never flinched. Knowing that even when things are rough we can meet across a page—yours or mine—means more to me than I can express. You have always been, and remain, my first reader, my fiercest champion, my wisest critic. In these, and so many other ways, I am blessed to have you in my life.
DUANE PRENTICE/NOMADIC VISIONS PHOTOGRAPHY
ROBERT J. WIERSEMA is an independent bookseller, a reviewer who contributes regularly to several national newspapers, and the best-selling author of two novels: Before I Wake and Bedtime Story. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.