This book is dedicated to those people who have had the most influence in my life, and those whom I love the most:
 
To Boo and Tar, my best friends and fellow Tar-babies, who helped form a literary and scholarly fellowship early in my life, and have since moved on into the next existence.
 
To Crystal, whose presence in my life as a daughter has helped me to grow and learn, whom I love deeply and continue to be exceptionally proud of.
 
To my wife Sonja and daughter Noëlle, the loves of my life, who lift me up daily from the rigors of work and my own inadequacies, to celebrate every moment of every day as precious and wonderful with their smiles and their laughter.