My thanks to the following foundations, organizations, colleagues, and friends for their help.

The Fellowship of Southern Writers, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the John Kobal Foundation, The United States / Finland Fulbright Commission, The Italian Fulbright Commission, The United States Information Service, Finland and Germany, The Foundation Center, Poets & Writers, The National Endowment for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Humanities, Centro Studi Americani, Roma; Amerika Haus, Frankfurt; and the United States Embassy, Finland.

To Jane Clark, who sent me on assignment to Chapel Hill and, inadvertently, started this project. William Nabers, who saw it as a book long before I did. John Langston and JoAnne Prichard for their early encouragement. Ann Beattie and Robert Coles for their generous contributions. Phillip duChateau for his "knee jerking" support with both the exhibition and the book. My editor, Judy Long, our chance meeting on a boat ride off the coast of Finland brought the book to publication. My wife and closest friend, Jaana Laine-Richter, who helped me finish what I had started.

Thanks also to Pasi Aaltonen, Kristoffer Albrecht, Sara Antonelli, Larry Bach, Bill and Alice Bamberger, Mary Lou Beattie, Phil Block, Anne Richmond Boston, Dot Brittingham, John Cohen, George Core, Lisa Cremin, Simon Crocker,
Jed Devine, U.S. Ambassador Eric Edelman, Robert Fichter, Peter Galassi, George Garrett, Chan Gordon, Angela Grant, Jan Groover, Lois Guarino, Mark Haworth-Booth, Marvin Heiferman, Robert Hennessy, William Hufstader, Josephine Humphreys, Barry Jones, Robert Kozma, Aaron Kurzen, Ville Kettunen, the Laine family, Jean-Claude Lemagny,
Daniel Lipson, Davien Littlefield, Leila Mustanoja, Fitzer Mills, Markku and Sari Nurminen, Tom Payton, Rod and Joan Perkins and their family, Pam Roberts, Sally Robinson, Jimmy Roche, Josh Rockwell, Bill and Ann Roy and their family, Cynthia Van Roden, John Seigenthaler, Marc Smirnoff, Cork Smith, Adam and Nicole Straus, Phyllis Straus, Nancy Ulin, Jonathan Williams and Miller Williams.

And to my parents and grandparents for all they have given and shown me.