by Ann Patty
Now my benevolent Terry has given me her Latin medal. I have strung the pendant on a gold chain that has languished in her old jewelry box for years. I wear it around my neck. When I feel anxious and feel my engine revving, I touch the medal. I think my mother can calm me. She wasn’t one to get rattled and anxious, as I do. She was sad and empty. The part of me that is her fills the emptiness with words. If she were alive, she would certainly recognize herself in me now. I have changed my own past and reclaimed hers. She sails this sea with me.
finis
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I owe gratitude to many individuals and institutions that were essential to the writing of this book.
My brilliant daughter, Sophie Withers, showed me how scholarship and perseverance can change a life.
Abigail Thomas convinced me that I could and should write, and gave me essential support and encouragement all along the way.
Curtis Dozier, summus magister and bonus amicus, allowed me to embark on this journey. Without him, this book, and my life, would be much less interesting.
Steve Magnuson has been the best of friends. His intelligence, honesty, and willingness to spend hours discussing things Latin and literary with me have made this book, and me, our best selves.
I was blessed with brilliant teachers: Matthew Wright, J. Bert Lott, Robert Brown, Benjamin Stevens, Daniel Gallagher, Gina Soter, and Charlie McNamara.
Stephen Haff, the bodhisattva of Still Waters in the Storm, keeps Latin alive in a most creative and beautiful manner, and allowed me to teach for the first time.
Jason Pedicone of the Paideia Institute kindly welcomed me into his thriving community, which is a beacon of hope for the study of Latin and Greek.
Vassar College and Bard College were superlative places to study. Both maintain an admirable dedication to the classics. The American Academy in Rome allowed me to enjoy a splendid accommodation during my visit to Rome.
For ideas, encouragement, and help of many varieties, I am indebted to Judy Lee Hartnett, Lilla Lyon, Patrick McGrath, Elisa Petrini, Jan Heller Levi, Nancy Mujo Baker, Margaret Thornton, Anna Adresian, Michael Fontaine, George Hodgman, Sam Swope, Jane Isay, Stephanie Gangi, and Peter Trachtenberg.
I thank my wizardly agent, Meg Ruley, and everyone at the Jane Rotrosen Agency for their savvy, enthusiasm, and care. My supersmart editor, Paul Slovak, was exacting and subtle, truly an editor’s editor.
Finally, I am grateful to George Vengrin, coniunx optimus, without whom I would have no romance.
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