Many special thanks to Luz and Justina’s birth/publishing family:
Denise Chávez, the angel looking out for me; el abuelito, Piri Thomas, who gave me his blessings; the godmothers, Marie Brown, Lesley Anne Brown (greatest agents), Yolanda Lopez (fabulous artist) and to the godfathers Floyd Salas, Alejandro Murgía and Marcus Lopez; a las tías, Marcia Reese, Patti McWillams y Billie Letts; a las hermanas, Carol MacDonald, Lucy Blake-Elahi y Deb Trent; a las comadres, Stacia Tolman, Marlene Smythe, Doris House Rice, Alice Davis-Rains, Gail Williams, Lois Joy, Betsy Damon, Mary Noble, Margaret Muñez y Judy Serebrin; el primo, Seko Franklin y la prima, Maricela Trujillo, who supported and believed in me through it all; to the homies at the Office Depot for the zillion and one copies and the gang at the Post Office for figuring out all the postage y a la gente at Arte Público Press, Marina Tristán, Carole Juarez, Russell Williams and Mickey James; a las mujeres with attitude at the Women of Color Resource Center, Linda Burnham, Miriam Louie and Aimie Gresham; to the women at Galeria de la Raza for their concern and enthusiasm; a la nieta, Jasmine Mi Lavallee; y los hijos, Thanh and Jay Lavallee, they taught me much and never gave up on me; to all those who saw me when I couldn’t and touched my life with their presence and their prayers, and the stand-still man with his wicked crooked grin, may he one day climb out and find me again.