Acknowledgments

This Book Emerges from Lifelong Relationships that Began in 2006 during my time in the Peace Corps. I feel unable to properly express gratitude for the hospitality, openness, and care that I witnessed in almost a decade of living in Senegal. Peace Corps colleagues nurtured my curiosity and offered community during these formative years. Robyn d’Avignon was responsible for getting me into anthropology in the first place. Matt McLaughlin led us through many adventures and fostered a sense of curiosity. Steve Wood has been a partner in building community over the long term. I first came to know the richness of Kédougou with others: Kay Stones, Jordan Welty, Andy Jondahl, Amy Truong, Roxy O’Connell as well as Alexa Shaw, Micah Thomas, Jed Fix, Mary O’Brien, Travis Ferland, Sarah Lee, and Michele Lehman. During my anthropological research, I appreciated the companionship of Mike LaChance and Anna French. A dedicated Peace Corps staff supported our efforts there, including Mark Gizzi, Bamba Fall, Chris Hedrick, and Karim Diallo.

This research was possible due to the incredible people on top of the mountain. Many thanks go to everyone in the funnaange and, in particular, to Samba, Sakamissa, Ben Idi, Mumini, Ruby, Wurije, Adama and everyone else for making the hirnaange a home. My deepest gratitude goes to Doba (my koto) and his family—I am proud of our enduring friendship. I am indebted to Harouna and Khadiatou for so many evenings of laughter, and companionship. Doba’s family in Kédougou, Ibrahima, Fatou, Aicha, and Oumar, provided companionship back in Kédougou. I honed my Pular from the kola nut sellers and merchants of Kédougou’s downtown market. Alhoussainey, Thierno Ibrahima, Alpha Oumar, Boubacar, Siradio, Ablaye, and so many others brought me into so many enriching conversations under a sunshade. Kédougou was the home of curious and engaged minds: people like Waly Cissokho, Oumar Sall, Famakhan Dembele, Ibrahima Ba, Bocar, Diallo, Djiby Diallo, and Hassana Diallo. My time in Kédougou all began with my host family from the neck of the river. Bintou, my host sister, has been a pillar of support. Everyone else in Daande Maayo—including Ousmane, Fatima, Dioukou, Mamadou, Ami, Mami, Sali, and Mory—was so gracious in opening their home to me.

I have continually returned to Senegal because remarkable people kept pulling me back. During my time in Saint-Louis, I was so lucky to meet Daouda Mbaye, whose curiosity and wisdom is awe inspiring. I found friendship with the Bindias, Biesses, and Boubanes in the compound behind the Peace Corps. Kali Américain, Tonton Kali, Bebe, Jimmy, Odette, Taki, Marie Christine, and Ipene offered companionship and hospitality. Alexi, Michel, Barthelemy, Gerard, Olivier, and company, organized restorative block party feasts. Mamoudou Djembe brought so much rhythm into my life. Adama Diaby has been an insightful interlocutor and a keen witness to changes in Kédougou region. Analyzing the back and forth of everyday talk was a difficult and a humbling task. Vieux Diallo was also an exceptional research assistant who helped with translations and offered insight on complicated material. Some amazing friends such as Cellou, Yaaye Aissatou, and Baylo left us too soon. To everyone in Kédougou, I hope that this book does justice to the incredible richness of your life worlds.

This intellectual journey began for me in the French Department at Virginia Tech, where I began to explore French outside of continental Europe. Sharon Johnson and Richard Shryock set me upon my path. Fabrice Teulonand and Janell Watson offered encouragement in my study of French. Medoune Gueye was a large influence on me, first introducing me to the rich world of African cinema through films like Touki Bouki. Little did I know that I would spend much of my future life there. Peter Stirling and Laura Burke made me feel at home in theirs. Babacar, Kine, and everyone at Daara Yacine made Yoff a place of refuge and wisdom. Periods of recuperation in Dakar were made possible by Elke Schmidt, who opened her home and the Where There Be Dragon community to me. Liz Conner and Megan Fettig helped me find the simple joys teaching. I appreciate the support of Fiona McLaughlin who offered support and encouragement.

I owe so much to my mentor, Judith Irvine, who guided me through extremely formative years of graduate school at the University of Michigan. Her continued support and keen counsel have opened me to the rich world of language. My graduate committee, Michael Lempert, Mike McGovern, Barbra Meek, and Derek Peterson supported me along my academic journey and gave me so much valuable feedback. Butch Ware reminded me that this work is also an ethical commitment and a humbling opportunity. The University of Michigan is the home of a vibrant intellectual community that has deeply informed my work: Webb Keane, Gillian Feeley-Harnik, Erik Mueggler, Andrew Shryock, Bruce Mannheim, Laura MacLatchy, Henry Wright, Thomas Trautmann, Kelly Askew, Jason De León, Kriszti Fehervary, Gayle Rubin, Damani Partridge, Matt Hull, and Alaina Lemon. Sally Thomason and Marlyse Baptista welcomed me into the field of linguistics. John Mitani, Stuart Kirsch, and Tom Fricke made West Hall a happy place to come to work. I had the pleasure of teaching with Thomas Chivens and Andrew Shryock, and Holly Peters-Golden. Many incredible scholars are doing work in Kédougou; I have learned much from conversations with Ibrahima Thiaw, Cameron Gokee, Moustapha Sall, Backary Doucouré, Mouhamadou Lamine Diallo, Alioune Dème, and everyone in the Kédougou research group.

I am grateful to have been surrounded by a caring and compassionate cohort in Ann Arbor: Aleksandr Sklyar, Cheryl Yin, Courtney Cottrell, Travis Williams, Maire Malone, Aaron Sandel, Allison Caine, Heyeon Lee, Laura Yakas, Cyrus O’Brien, Chelsea Fisher, and Anna Antoniou. Drew Haxby and Brenna Murphy were pillars of friendship and care. Michigan anthropology fostered a compassionate group of inspiring scholars like Jessica Lowen, Yeonju Bae, Prash Naidu, Chris Sargent, Amanda Kemble, Punnu Jaitla, Meghanne Barker, Sandhya Narayanan, Vincent Battista, Bree Doering, Adrian Deoanca, Georgia Ennis, Adrienne Lagman, Promise McEntire, Anne Marie Creighton, Matthew Schissler, Onyx Henry, and Sheng Long. Chip Zuckerman and Michael Prentice offered timely feedback and support. The Michigan Ling Lab community was always ready with insightful feedback on my work. Michigan’s AHAW shared their rich work with me. I am grateful to Costas Nakassis, Kristina Wirtz, Susan Philips, Kate Graber, Michael Silverstein and the entire Michicagoan community for their engaged scholarship.

Beginning to teach during the pandemic was difficult, but my colleagues at Grinnell College offered support during uncertain times: Josh Marshack, Brigittine French, Jon Andelson, Monty Roper, Cynthia Hansen, Tess Kulstad, Katya Gibel-Mevorach, John Whittaker, Kathy Kemp, and Maria Tapias. It is in these times of isolation that this book project began, which was both a challenge and an opportunity. This book was completed at the University of Wyoming, where I am deeply indebted to my colleagues for their friendship and support: Todd Surovell, Marcel Kornfeld, Melissa Murphy, Jason Toohey, Randy Haas, Lauren Hayes, Jessica Nelson, Jim Johnson, Allie Kelly, Sean Field, Bree Doering, Bob Kelly, Pam Innes, Jim Ahern, and Steve Bialostok. I feel grateful to be in the company of such generous and empowering colleagues. UW graduate assistants helped me in my teaching so I could have time to write: Mac Larimer, Fox Nelson, and Josh Rutledge; Aubrey Edwards, in particular, offered timely and intentional during a critical semester. Todd Surovell and Melissa Murphy helped cultivate an inspiring place to work as department heads. I relished the opportunity to participate in the Wyoming Institute for the Humanities Research fellowship, where I was reminded that writing is a craft. Allison Caine, Dan Auerbach, Trisha Martinez, Kent Drummond, Alyson Hagy, Katharine Tekyl, and Scott Henkel provided so much generous insight on my work.

Research was made possible with generous support from the National Science Foundation’s Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant, the Wenner-Gren Foundation’s Dissertation Fieldwork Grant, the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and the University of Michigan Rackham International Research Award. This work has benefitted from the financial support from the following centers and institutes at the University of Michigan: The African Studies Center, the Department of Anthropology, Rackham Graduate School, the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, the Mellon Institute, and the Michigan International Institute. Wyoming’s Center for Global Studies, UW Arts and Sciences, as well as the Wenner-Gren Foundation funded collaborative and follow up research in Senegal. The Wyoming Institute for the Humanities generously funded the indexing of this book. Senegal’s Ministère de l’Education et de la Recherche authorized my research in Kédougou. I am grateful to the West African Research Center (WARC) and to Mariane Wade, in particular, for hosting me as a scholar and providing support during my intermittent trips to Dakar.

This book would not be possible without the insightful and generous comments from two reviewers, who helped me hone my argument and my engagement with important scholarship. I thank the faculty board and the editorial staff at Indiana University Press for their direction and professionalism: Bethany Mowry, my editor for helping bring this work into being; Nancy Lightfoot and Laura Abrams for their careful attention to the manuscript; and Samantha Heffner for helping share the book into the world. I am appreciative of Thomas Vecchio’s help in producing an amazing index.

This book emerges from a lifetime apprenticeship in critical thinking fostered by my parents, Monika and Philip Sweet, who supported me through years of discovery. I am grateful to my brother, Matthias Sweet for shared advice and encouragement. I am thankful for my new family, Pam, Brian, Liam, and Melanie, who made Maine a place of rest and recovery. This book came into being over many years, and much of it was written while I became a father to Rowan and Sophie. I love you two more than anything. My deepest thanks go to my wife and fellow scholar, Alli. Although we almost never talk about anthropological theory together, everything here bears traces of our love.