Acknowledgments

To Beth Schaible, my partner in everything. I never understood what that term meant until I knew you. Thank you for being ever patient, pragmatic, supportive, and loving; for all your great talents; and for the way you remind me of my own talents when I need it most. Thanks for supplying the images and graphics for this book. And thank you most for what lies ahead: a lifetime of answers to the questions we pose to each other each day.

Thank you to my daughters, Mira and Luca, who are my purpose in life. Mira (book in hand) who, like a matte stone, takes in the light around her and holds it, respects it, and uses it to show me the strength in myself and my connection to the world. Luca (ever cartwheeling through life) who, like a disco ball, reflects light for us all to bask in, reminding me to have fun and to wear my heart on my sleeve—otherwise how would anyone really know who I am?

To my mother, Jane Middelton-Moz, who taught me that you don’t punch a clock when you do what you love. Instead, it drags you along, scabs and all, providing the lens through with which you view the world as well as the scaffold that ideas are built upon. To my father, Jeff Middelton, who unwittingly challenges me to slow down and not take the little things for granted because, in reality, they are the big ones. You remind me that there is so much more to life than work (a lesson I struggle with), and that I should just get in the car and drive from time to time.

To Jonah Meacham, for joining me in setting the foundation, and always being there. To Adam Field, for never ceasing to listen and laugh with me, for being a mirror, and for providing the comradery and competition it takes to make us both better. To Arash Shirinbab, thank you for reminding me that there is so much more to learn, and that we are all learning, making, teaching, and growing. To Tippy Maurant, my sister and friend, and to my brothers Shawn, Jason, and Damien, for being on this ship together with me.

Thank you to Syd Exton, for showing me that no matter what you make, it must first be approached with love and practicality, and that one can really make a beautiful life and living through clay. John Neely, who above all reminds me, through example, to value details and to value education—not just in the classroom, but in the coffee bean, the fermented sugars, the bread, the endless volumes of resources between the pages of a book, and of course, in the absurd ironies we encounter each day. Linda Sikora, whose reverence for ceramics is unapologetic and fierce; who, in her first year at Alfred, unconsciously gave me the confidence that has carried me to where I am today. To Val Cushing, whose mere presence inspired excellence, and Warren Mackenzie, my first clay hero (before I ever know there was such a thing).

I’d like to thank all who contributed to this book, with images, interviews, phone calls, and emails! You added the context and the texture this book desperately needed! Thank you to Jenna Neeley and family, for your grace and patience. While I was finishing this little project, you were finishing one of even greater magnitude! And to Ginny Hautau for your positivity and laughter in the face of obstacles.

Last, I’d like to thank Thom O’Hearn, my editor, who I am sure is as surprised as I am that this project finally got done. I know it was not the most direct path to the finish line, but maybe, just maybe, some of the twists and turns along the way revealed some details that wouldn’t have otherwise come to light. Thanks for your warmth, patience, and encouragement. Thanks to Colleen Eversman for the photos in this book, and the many hours of conversation that accompanied them. And thanks to the rest of the team at Quarto, including Anne Re and Renae Haines; your patience and professionalism are a blessing.