Atmosphere: A Love Story By Taylor Jenkins Reid - 53
For the past few years, I’ve been joking with my family that I should dedicate this book to “artistic license.” It was incredibly challenging to get close to historically accurate in order to create Joan and Vanessa’s world. So much of my growth as a writer was in accepting that my work cannot and w...
For the past few years, I’ve been joking with my family that I should dedicate this book to “artistic license.” It was incredibly challenging to get close to historically accurate in order to create Joan and Vanessa’s world. So much of my growth as a writer was in accepting that my work cannot and will never be flawless. I am flawed; my scope of understanding the world is limited. And thus, so is this book. But, with any luck, within the flaws there is something that can mean something to somebody.
What technical accuracy this story has is thanks to the books I’ve read—a selected list of which follows these acknowledgments—and to the people who agreed to help a stranger with a crazy idea.
Paul Dye, it speaks to what a generous person you are that you took so much time guiding me through the details of life on the space shuttle and in Mission Control. I have learned so much from you throughout this process, not only about how to create a monumental life-threatening disaster in space but also the way the people at NASA approach the world. Thank you.
Jeffrey Kluger, I am so grateful for your time. A large part of Joan’s love for space travel was formed that day we spoke about the value of exploration. Corey Powell and Mike Massimino, thank you so much for your help with the science and day-to-day details.
Kari Erickson, I am exceedingly grateful for your expertise at every step of the way in crafting this book. It is better because of you.
Jennifer Hershey, you have changed my life and changed me as a writer. Your support, not only in helping to get this book into shape but also in understanding me and what I’ve needed, has made all the difference. Kara Welsh, Kim Hovey, Jennifer Garza, Emily Isayeff, Taylor Noel, Wendy Wong, Bonnie Thompson, Robert Siek, Susan Turner, Angela McNally, and the incredible team at Ballantine, thank you for everything you do. I am exceedingly lucky to get to work with such talented, passionate people.
Theresa Park and Celeste Fine, there is a fierceness to both of you that I admire greatly. Thank you for always being the steady hands that have never steered me wrong. To Andrea Mai, Emily Sweet, Abigail Koons, Ben Kaslow-Zieve, Kathryn Toolan, John Maas, Charlotte Sunderland, and Haley Garrison, I get excited every single time I get to see you—and you all know how much I hate leaving the house, so that is saying a lot.
Brad Mendelsohn, you endure so much complaining from me! And you make it seem as if you don’t mind it at all. Thank you for everything you do to realize my wild visions. Sylvie Rabineau and Stuart Rosenthal, I am so fortunate to have you both, and I never take that privilege for granted. Stephen Fertelmes and Michael Geiser, thank you for understanding what I need, as unorthodox as it may be sometimes. This team is an incredible one.
Julian Alexander, Venetia Butterfield, Ailah Ahmed, and the incredible teams at Soho Agency UK and Hutchinson, I am so lucky to be repped and published by such a sincere and passionate team in the UK. To Leo Teti, Joaquín Sabaté, and the team at Umbriel (hi, Facu!), your dedication to my work means the world to me.
To my brother, Jake Jenkins, who never lets me say a bad thing about myself without staunchly defending me, thank you. I hope one day I’m as good of a writer as you see me as.
To Rose Reid and Sally Hanes, thank you for everything you do for Alex, Lilah, and me. You so often make it so that I have the time I need to write. And you have listened so much these past few years as I’ve figured things out.
To Julia Bicknell and Kate Sullivan for reading this book early on. You have always seen me in the full complexity of who I am and made me feel exceedingly safe to be my true self. And to Julia Furlan, Ashley Rodger, Colin Rodger, and Emily Giorgio, thank you for never seeing me as an author first. It means more to me than I could have ever known.
*Sigh* And now for you, Alex Reid. You went through the NASA documents with me, read the books, talked things through, and gave me so many ideas. But more than that, you read every draft of this love story between two women and always understood why I wanted to write it. You cheered me on every step of the way. I have never had to bury or deny any parts of myself in order to make sense to you. What a gift it is, to be loved like that.
And finally, as always, to Lilah. I told you the story of Joan and Vanessa the day I finished it. And you listened to every word. You gasped, and you swooned, and then, at the end, you cried. Nothing I’ve ever done creatively has been as satisfying as that. How lucky am I? To be the one to tell you a story. I will tell you stories forever, my love. And eagerly listen to all of yours. Because while the great expanse of space may be enticing, I belong here, with you, looking up at the stars from afar. You are, forever, my Frances.
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