From the very beginning.
Enuma Okoro, for saying to me in a restaurant in Providence, “Oh, you have to write the spiritual book first!” For your friendship and the feedback on early chapters. The painter, for tenderness and having my back when I started on this path. The priest, for breaking me. The historian, Ed Keazor, thank you a thousand times over for being there.
Tiona McClodden, for every moment of your unflinching and active belief in my work, for inspiring me with yours. For the multiple ways you saw and supported me, for teaching me rigor. Christi Cartwright, for being an excellent and meticulous reader. For always coming through with the industry insight and being my friend. Dana Spiotta and Chris Kennedy, for the first draft feedback. The Creative Writing MFA Program at Syracuse University, for funding me during the year in which I wrote the book. The Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop where the book concept solidified and the Caine Prize Writing Workshop where I finished the first draft. Cave Canem, for the poetry workshops in which I wrote Chapter 15.
Chimamanda Adichie, for the Farafina Creative Writing Workshop and the ripples from that. For that moment when I started to tell you about the book and you tilted your head, looked at me, and said, “Ah, so you’re an ọgbanje.”
Binyavanga Wainaina, for making me cancel my Uber to talk about the work. For being such a staunch champion of this book and making sure it was taken care of. You believed in it so much that I did too.
To Eloghosa Osunde and Nana Nyarko Boateng, for reading the manuscript and giving me reasons why this work matters, for always seeing and loving me. Isaac Otidi Amuke, with all my love. You know why. Sarah Chalfant, Jackie Ko, and Alba Ziegler-Bailey at the Wylie Agency, for being amazing. My brilliant editor, Peter Blackstock, for believing.
My mother, June, for letting me interview her and my little twin sister, Yagazie, for that time when I was freaking out about what I needed to believe in order to write this book and you told me to treat it like I was a method actor, to surrender. So I went in and never came back out, which was perfect. Also, for everything else. Thank you.
The lovebears and squad, for being my community and chosen family. We all we got.
Bobbi, mi hermana mi amor, thank you for everything. And always, my darling Rachel, for all these years of fierce and unwavering love.