It’s funny. Whenever I get to the end of a book and see an acknowledgments page, I feel a little disappointed. Granted, I’ve included acknowledgments pages in my own books, and I’ve been thrilled to see my name mentioned among the acknowledgments of authors I admire, so I’m not arguing that authors shouldn’t include them in the back pages of their books. But by the time I reach the end of a book, especially a book I love, I feel like I’ve really gotten to know the author intimately, like I’m the author’s special friend. And then I turn the page and the illusion is shattered when I see all of the author’s true confidantes listed in black and white.
Does anyone else ever feel this way, or is it just me?
8 responses to “The Thing About Acknowledgments”
That’s pretty funny. It’slike the time when I became hysterical after going through my parent’s wedding album and thinking I hadn’t been invited. Okay. I was two or three-years-old or six….
That’s a great story! Thanks!
Hmmm never thought of it that way, but it is an interesting thought.
Thanks! I was inspired by a quote from The Catcher in the Rye: “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.”
It would be great, though.
Marc, can’t say as I do. But I always find them interesting, even though some agents, etc., have said they aren’t read, but I doubt that. Then why put them in there? I read them! But no, I don’t feel the say way…and I put them in my work, because I want to acknowledge that creating a book is a TEAM effort and I had help—and, oh, yeah, THESE are the people who helped. I want you to know who they are and I want to publicly thank them for their efforts!
Besides, I *am* a special friend to many authors… to which my stack of [alphabetized] restraining orders attest….
“Restraining order” is just another word for “love.”
Ha, you had me laughing so hard! You know me so well…as I do…of YOU (pay no attention to that sound coming out of the closet…)!