The Misogyny of «Too Much»

Contents

1. Acknowledgments

2. Preface: On too much love

3. Introduction

4. Chapter 1 Types of too much

5. Chapter 2 The language of too much

6. Chapter 3 On punishment

7. Chapter 4 Contain yourself

8. Chapter 5 In the spirit of copia

Acknowledgments

First and most importantly, I’d like to thank every single person who agreed to an interview with me on what it has been like to be called too much. If this book is any good at all, it is because you have been willing to share your stories with me. I am so very grateful.

I wrote most of this book during a sabbatical leave granted from Illinois State University. I am grateful for the time this leave allowed.

To all of the Writing Buddies who listened to me talk through these ideas in the summer and fall of 2025: Trish Roberts-Miller, Jenn Fishman, Clancy Ratliff, Elizabeth Coughlan, Darcy Randall, Susan Wells, Lydia Wilkes, Cindy Tekkobe, and Seth Kahn, you have my enduring thanks. I couldn’t have finished this work without your support and your wonderful good humor.

I also offer my heartfelt thanks

To Beth Boquet, who gave me the idea in the first place during a rousing C’s planning session over Zoom with Richard Miller as we tried to figure out how to work abundance into our work. Beth said she wanted to turn what was always called too much into abundance. I hope I’ve been able to do a little bit of that here.

To Sarah Hochstetler, for always, always listening to me talk through ideas about what it means to be too much, for being too much right along with me, and making me laugh so very, very much. Never too much. I can never get too much of you.

To Ryan Skinnell, for oscillating between serious and ridiculous as we talk about my work, for seeming to know when I need each one, and for making me laugh too much.

To Steve Field, for listening to every step of this process, for always expressing your pride in my work, and for always making me laugh. I love you.