Читать книгу Freedom to Differ - Diane Helene Miller - Страница 8

The occasion of completing a book provides one of the rare moments in life in which one is compelled to cease one’s ongoing work, at least momentarily, and take stock of one’s emotional and intellectual debts: to give thanks where thanks are due. Doing so dispels the myth of the isolated writer, for while the process of writing can be a lonely one, a truer representation of scholarly work is one that casts a wider net to encompass a community of others who have influenced, directly or indirectly, that scholar’s work.

To begin at the beginning, I wish to thank my parents, Jay and Lois Miller, for instilling in me at an early age a love of learning, an understanding of the value of an education, and a strong work ethic to help me achieve it. They have endowed me with the intellectual and financial means, as well as the self-discipline, to pursue an excellent and extensive education. I am grateful for their generosity and the freedom and privilege they have given me to pursue my chosen career path. I also thank my sister, Elaine Miller; my brother, Ira Miller; and my sister-in-law, Ann Kowel Miller, for their love and support.

I am fortunate to be a feminist scholar at a time and in a place where my role models have been feminist women. My awakening as both a scholar and a feminist began at Trinity University as a student of Vicki Aarons, professor of English, who is without question the finest teacher I have ever known. She introduced me to the excitement of the life of the mind and to the importance and joys of feminist scholarship. My admiration for her, the knowledge and skills I acquired in her classroom, and the guidance she provided shaped my undergraduate years as well as my future career. Trinity itself will always be a second home to me, and so much of who I am has been influenced by the people and ideas I first encountered there.

My feminist education has been furthered by other strong women who have been my teachers, either formally or unofficially. In the former group, Cindy Jenefsky, Celeste Condit, Ramona Liera-Schwichtenberg, and Evelyn Fox Keller taught me much of what I know about feminist theory and criticism, for which I am deeply grateful. In the latter group, Coleen Grissom, Peg Layton, and Ann Knoebel have inspired me with their intellect, wisdom, and humor. Their faith in my abilities has encouraged me to greater belief in myself.

Many individuals have helped me along the way since this project began. This book is based on a dissertation I completed at the University of Georgia. Several faculty members were particularly supportive during my search to find a topic that would be meaningful to me and to shape a research agenda that would have an impact on a wider community. For their support and guidance I thank, again, Celeste and Cindy. I am grateful to Tricia Lootens, whose enthusiastic response to my project inspired me during moments of doubt. Her thoughtful insights and suggestions considerably improved the final version of this book. I also express my gratitude to Cal Logue, not only for his assistance on this project but also for the innumerable things I have learned from him through our collaborative work. Our association has been in all ways a joy to me.

I thank my editor at New York University Press, Jennifer Hammer, for her guidance, her patience in answering the innumerable questions of a first-time author, and her belief in the book and its possibilities. I also express my appreciation to copy editor Joanna Lee Mullins, whose remarkable attention to detail greatly enhanced the book’s readability and consistency. I am grateful to Mary Newcombe, one of Grethe Cammermeyer’s lawyers, for providing me with transcripts and other documents I could not find elsewhere and for patiently explaining some of the legal intricacies of the case. In addition, I wish to acknowledge the two courageous women whose stories stand at the heart of this book. Roberta Achtenberg and Grethe Cammermeyer inspire us all with their courage to be who they are, openly and proudly. In standing up for themselves and their own beliefs, they set a standard of integrity to which we can all aspire.

I am indebted to several readers who generously volunteered their time to read and comment on drafts of this manuscript. Among these are J. A. Bergerson, Marsha Black, Celeste Condit, Pam Lannutti, Anne Layton, and Tricia Lootens. I am also deeply grateful for the insights, ideas, and phenomenal editing of a friend who, sadly, must remain unnamed here. Her work as a public school teacher and the well-being of her children forces her to remain anonymous, lest she endanger the people and the livelihood she cherishes. Her contributions to the clarity of my thought and my writing in this book are immeasurable. With her quiet pride, she stands as a reminder both of the very real dangers that continue to confront gays and lesbians every day and of the tremendous but often hidden contributions that anonymous members of our communities make to our cause. I thank her with all my heart. I hope that someday her anonymity will no longer be necessary.

I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by a family of friends who are, blessedly, too numerous to name but who I trust will know who they are. First and foremost, I thank the members of the Athens Area Lesbian Social Group for their encouragement, support, generosity, humor, and love. This book is in so many ways a tribute to you all. For friendship over the years, I am grateful to Kelly Bender, J. A. Bergerson, Sammie Foss, Elizabeth Holman, Chris Kesler, Caroline Carriker, Julie Chapman, Jeff Hebert, Donna Stachowiak, and David Tuttle. I am so thankful to share my life with my adored and (intermittently) faithful cat companion, Butterscotch, who is a constant source of joy to me. Finally, I express my gratitude and love to Anne Layton, whose encouragement, support, patience, and understanding sustained me throughout the writing of this book. Her love reminds me, day after day, of the reasons we must continue to struggle for full liberation, and of why we ultimately must triumph.