Moving Foreword: Real Introductions to Totally Made-Up Books

A good foreword not only whets your appetite for the book to come, but sets the ground rules, establishes the scene, and advertises the hard work the author has put in. A good foreword is a reference on a resume, an emcee, and a hype man all rolled into one.

Be honest. Do you read the forewords, introductions, prefaces, and other essays or scribblings that precede the main text, either in fiction or nonfiction? I don’t always bother. But, if they’re anything like the forewords in this book, I have been missing out.

Moving Foreword is all about crafting effective forewords to books that don’t really exist. It’s an intriguing writerly challenge, one accepted by perhaps the most eclectic group ever assembled for a creative project; there are athletes, comedians, writers, musicians, talk show hosts, and even a former Batman among the list of contributors.

Most of these are hilarious and absurd, but some of them are unexpectedly unsettling and others tremendously engaging. One is absolutely beautiful — the one about a woman traveling the world to experience all different forms of love, in the hopes of finding one that will last. It’s a heartbreakingly gorgeous idea, one that you wish was real.

Moving Foreword is all foreplay, yet still manages to satisfy.