I remain deeply grateful to my family and the many friends who support, uplift, comfort and inspire me as I work. Special thanks to Will Alexander and his entire family for keeping me company and making sure I ate meals when the deadlines were looming. Also thanks to Kobi Libii, Nicole Valentine, Emily Kokie, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Nova Ren Suma, Tirzah Price, Alice Dodge, and Kerry Land for their support, as well as all of my colleagues at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Thanks to my agent, Ginger Knowlton, and her team at Curtis Brown, Ltd., for their work in bringing my writing to the world. Thanks to Noa Wheeler for sparking the idea for How It Went Down and helping bring that book to life with sufficient success to support this companion book! Finally, to Kate Farrell, my editor on this book, for leaping into the existing world of these characters and patiently guiding me through the creative process.
For all the teachers, librarians, parents, and others who share this book with teens, I’m grateful for the efforts you make to bring awareness to acts of bias and violence occurring in our midst. I hope the book sparks conversation, reflection, and a desire to work for equality and justice for all.