Out of the Easy(86)
“I’m gonna finish school and then you know what? I’m comin’ for you, Josie Coquard.” Jesse smiled. “Josie Mae West of the Motor City Moraine Coquard. You still owe me a window. Put that in the note to your friend.”
I had been writing out a postcard to Charlotte from Alabama. At Jesse’s insistence, I had sent her a twelve-page single-spaced letter. I spilled my entire history, every filthy last bit of it, including that my namesake was a madam and that Miss Paulsen had somehow pulled strings for an interview at Smith. I could barely fit all the pages in the envelope and had to tape it shut. Additional postage required, the postal clerk had said.
And then I waited, certain that no response would indeed be the response. But then a letter arrived, a single sheet of pink paper with a brief reply.
“There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.”
—Sir Francis Bacon
Can’t wait to see you!
Your trusted friend, Charlotte
And so it was decided.
Josie’s goin’ to Northampton, so don’t you jive on me.
I took a swig out of Cokie’s thermos, and we pulled back onto the road.
Acknowledgments
Out of the Easy was a team effort. This book would not have been possible without the team captains—my agent Ken Wright and my editor Tamra Tuller. Ken encouraged me to pursue this story and Tamra guided every step of my writing. Their patience, wisdom, and expertise transformed this novel. I am grateful for such wonderful mentors and friends.
I am eternally indebted to author Christine Wiltz. Her book The Last Madam: A Life in the New Orleans Underworld inspired not only this story, but also my desire to be a writer. Earl and Lorraine Scramuzza introduced me to a historical underbelly of the French Quarter I never would have uncovered on my own. Sean Powell welcomed me into the house on Conti that was formerly the brothel of Norma Wallace and the studio of E. J. Bellocq. New Orleans historian John Magill shared his incredible knowledge and flagged my errors.
Writers of historical fiction would be lost without libraries and archives. I am grateful to the Williams Research Center in New Orleans, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the New Orleans Public Library, the Nashville Public Library, the Brentwood Library, The Times-Picayune, The Tennessean, Nanci A. Young in the Smith College Archives, Lori E. Schexnayder in the Tulane University Archives, Trish Nugent in the Loyola University Archives, the Vanderbilt University Archives, the Librairie Book Shop on Chartres, and the Garden District Book Shop. Writers Lyle Saxon, Robert Tallant, Ellen Gilchrist, Anne Rice, and Truman Capote brought Louisiana to life for me through their stunning prose. Thank you to the teachers, librarians, booksellers, and literacy advocates who have given me the opportunity to connect with students and readers.
My writing group sees everything first: Sharon Cameron, Amy Eytchison, Rachel Griffith, Linda Ragsdale, Howard Shirley, and Angelika Stegmann. Thank you for your dedication and friendship. I couldn’t do it without you! Kristy King, Lindsay Davis, and Kristina Sepetys were all integral to the character development of Josie Moraine. Genetta Adair, Courtney Stevens Potter, Rae Ann Parker, and The Original 7 were wonderfully generous with critiques and encouragement. Fred Wilhelm and Lindsay Kee sparked the title. And SCBWI made my dreams come true.
Michael Green at Philomel, thank you for believing in me. The Philomel family—Semadar Megged, Jill Santopolo, Kiffin Steurer, and Julia Johnson. The Penguin family—Don Weisberg, Jennifer Loja, Eileen Kreit, Ashley Fedor, Scottie Bowditch, Shanta Newlin, Kristina Aven, Liz Moraz, Helen Boomer, Felicia Frazier, Emily Romero, Jackie Engel, Erin Dempsey, Anna Jarzab, Marie Kent, Linda McCarthy, Vanessa Han, and all of the incredible Penguin field reps.
Yvonne Seivertson, Niels Bye Nielsen, Gavin Mikhail, Jeroen Noordhuis, Mike Cortese, The Rockets, Steve Vai, JW Scott, Steve Malk, Carla Schooler, Jenna Shaw, Amanda Accius Williams, the Lithuanian community, the Reids, the Frosts, the Tuckers, the Smiths, the Peales and the Sepetyses all assisted or supported my efforts with this book.
Mom and Dad, you taught me to dream big and love even bigger. John and Kristina, you are my inspiration and the best friends a little sister could ask for.
And Michael, your love gives me the courage and the wings. You are my everything.