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Acknowledgements

I extend my sincerest gratitude to the following organizations, their staffs, and board members who supported the completion of this book through fellowships, residencies, and teaching opportunities: Interlochen Center for the Arts (especially Mika Perrine and Matthew Wiliford); North Carolina Humanities Council along with Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities; Jentel Foundation; Fishtrap (especially Barbara Dills) and Imnaha Writers’ Retreat; The Warehouse Sessions at Studio 7; Madroño Ranch: A Center for Writing, Art, and the Environment; Virginia Center for the Creative Arts; The Island Institute of Sitka, Alaska; 49 Alaska Writing Center; and Prairie Center of the Arts.

Several people reviewed early drafts of the manuscript for accuracy. I would like to thank Shannon Huffman Polson (Captain, US Army Aviation, 1993-2001) for assistance understanding military branches and divisions of power, as well as use of Denali Arts 229; Sergeant First Class Warren Bockhol for weapons accuracy and his descriptions of a Forward Operating Base; Karen Button (former war correspondent) for answering countless questions and steering me toward resources on Middle Eastern culture; and Doug Stanton for Horse Soldiers and his support of this work. I would also like to thank my agent, John Sibley Williams, and my copyeditor, Mike Magnuson.

I owe a debt of gratitude to the faculty of the Pacific University MFA in Writing Program, most specifically Judy Blunt (for verbs), Pete Fromm (for teaching me to relax), Claire Davis (for precision, passion, and abandon), Jack Driscoll (because one sentence announces the possibility of the next), and Shelley Washburn (for encouragement). And to two of my earliest creative writing teachers, Ms. Wood and Professor Hashimoto, who planted the seeds without which this would never have grown.

Likewise, those priceless writing friends who have swapped stories with me, offered invaluable critiques, and generally have made the writing life a life worth living—endless appreciation for Anne-Marie, Britt, Cam, Compton, Kyle, Mendy, Mary, Rosie, and Wesley. With regard to final revisions and the good work of digging in: Ester, Brendan, Jenny, and the fine state of Alaska.

I spent 31 out of 36 months traveling across the United States while I wrote Flashes of War. Strangers hosted me for dinner; community members shared their homes; local arts organizations sponsored readings and events; students engaged during class; friends of friends reached out and made me feel welcome; colleagues accepted me; fellow artists shared their work and inspired my own; and perhaps most importantly, supporters new and old encouraged my journey without question. Their faith in what at many times felt like an impossibly long road ultimately helped me find my way home. Without their support, these stories could not have been written.

Last but not least, thanks to the dependables: THE CLAW, Bob Dylan, Gus, and Duckie.