Homesick
Page 18
Mama, I hope that makes you as happy as it makes me.
Acknowledgments
If they say it takes a village to raise a child, it truly takes a city, state, or nation to birth a book. And while I spent so much time at the computer that I finally became familiar with the inner and outer workings of Word, without the assistance, support, and encouragement of my team, this book would have remained just a dream.
I pay tribute to the people who helped me to urge this story into the light of day and onto paper. I thank you and I love you, for I would not be writing these acknowledgments without you. . . .
Rod Dreher—my friend, who helped give structure and voice to the story I wanted to tell, and whose own Southern roots enriched the who, what, where, when, and how of the final product.
Cal Morgan—my amazing editor, who guided me back onto the path when I strayed, and who helped me in countless ways to tell the broader story through the details of my life experiences.
Joni Evans—my fabulous agent, who fought for and won me the freedom and time to tell the story that I wanted to tell.
Judith Regan—my ever-talented publisher, who started it all with an offer and followed it up with belief and support in the book that I really wanted to write.
David Seltzer—my manager, who read and critiqued the book so many times he practically has it committed to memory.
Aunt Nancy and Uncle Joe—who shared their love, their stories, and their insight into our family.
Hallie Ward—my sister-in-law, for spinning her tales, and for the love and laughter she adds to the family.
Kate and Val—raconteurs extraordinaire, who brought life and a third dimension to the colorful and eccentric side of being Southern, and who kept me hysterically laughing through much of the research portion of the book.
Jackie Moses—my assistant, whose many mad dashes to FedEx and late-night sessions combing through boxes and boxes of photos saved the day time after time.
Manny and Melanie Mitchell—for reminding me that you don’t catch brim with minnows, and a number of other good ol’ Southern notes.
Rina Freedman—for the gift of amazing wisdom and contribution to my life and thus to this book.
Patrick Sinclair—who rode in like the cavalry at the eleventh hour to lend his unique insight and perspective and sense of humor just before the book wrapped.
Carrie Wiatt—a two-time author who shared her experiences in the writing process and the perseverance required.
And finally, to my husband, Howard, who encouraged me when I was tired, who helped me when I was weary, and who found just the right turn of phrase when I was stuck.
I love y’all. . . .
Sela
About the Author
Sela Ward is the recipient of two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for her work on Once & Again and Sisters, and a Cable Ace Award for her role as Jessica Savitch in Almost Golden. She recently founded Hope Village for Children, a permanent home for abused and neglected children, in Meridian, Mississippi. Sela lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their two children, and returns frequently with her family to her Mississippi hometown.
www.selawardtv.com
Credits
Jacket design by Judith Regan and Brenden Hitt
Front jacket photographs: Sela Ward by Mikael Jansson; Sela’s daughter, Anabella, by Beth D. Carr; house by Melanie Acevedo
Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint the following copyrighted material: lyrics from “Avalon Blues” by Mississippi John Hurt, © and renewed by Wynwood Music Co., Inc. Used by permission.
HOMESICK. Copyright © 2002 by Sela Ward. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound™.
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MS Reader edition v 1. November 2002 ISBN 0-06-051670-4
Print edition first published in 2002 by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
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