I would never have completed this book without the vision, faith, and skill of Don Fehr and Karen Wolny. Working with them has been one of the great gifts of my career. Don, my agent from Trident Media Group, immediately “got it” when we first communicated about a memoir that would also address larger messages about stigma. He put me through the paces—multiple revisions of a lengthy proposal—to present this book’s essential message in the best possible light, doing so with vision and verve. In a word, Don is a force.
Karen, my editor at St. Martin’s, has perennially showed patience, support, and expert guidance in challenging me to dig deeper, to provide an integrated voice, and to keep “on message” throughout the book’s chapters. She never dictated precisely what to write. Rather, as a remarkably sensitive elicitor, she compelled me to take this work to a different level, always revealing considerable insight and compassion. Her blend of ultra-competence and warmth is nothing short of remarkable.
To have gathered the support of these experts means that I’ve been amply blessed.
My ongoing team in the Bay Area includes my colleagues and friends Allison Harvey, Bennett Leventhal, Mary Main, and Rudy Mendoza-Denton. Their unflagging support and spot-on critiques have been essential. Bennett pointed me in the direction of the incredible quote from James Baldwin, an excerpt from which serves as the book’s title. Scott Lines provided a different kind of inspiration in helping me to understand so much about my past and present.
In the early stages, Betsy Rapoport masterfully showed me how to approach this kind of writing. I also received encouragement and critiques from the generous input of Katherine Ellison, Nan Weiner, and Lee Gutkind—the “godfather” of creative nonfiction. Linda Isbell played an essential role in linking me with Don Fehr and championing my efforts regarding this book. Among my enthusiastic additional supporters have been Shaikh Ahmad, Kyla Buckingham, Daphne de Marneffe, Howard Goldman, Sheri Johnson, Laura Mason, Nicole Murman, Lisa Post, and Robert Villanueva. Eric Youngstrom provided sage guidance regarding the concept of “Cade’s disease” in the context of bipolar disorder. My sister and I will always be grateful to my friend and colleague Bob Knight, who instantly understood the consequences of Mom’s odontoid flare during the last week of her life.
The support, love, and sharp editorial skills of my wife, Kelly Campbell—now Dr. Campbell—made the entire effort possible. Kel, I can’t thank you enough.
Our three boys, Jeff Hinshaw, John Neukomm, and Evan Hinshaw, have shown me, full-on, the intergenerational pull that keeps our species going forward. Their close bond to one another is wonderful to behold.
Finally, my sister, Sally Hinshaw, didn’t have the same kind of relationship with our father that I did. But as the book’s dedication reveals, our closeness as siblings and her courage are always at the front of my heart.