Sensation Machines

especially Robin Wasserman, who went above and beyond the call of duty.
“The Parentheses” first appeared, in slightly different form, in issue #1 of Assignment Magazine. Thanks to Benjamin Nugent for his astute suggestions and for coming up with the section’s title.
Thanks to Aspen Words, the James Merrill Foundation, Arteles Creative Center, and everyone at Soho Press and Folio Literary Management.
Thanks to the Wilson and Rapp families for their unwavering support.
Thanks to my son, Julian Douglas Rapp Wilson, for the joy you’ve brought into my life.
This book is dedicated to my wife, Sarah Rapp, whose strength, patience, intelligence, and boundless love carried me through the long span of its creation.