My agent, Edward Orloff, who tore through this and sold it at a time when I wasn’t even sure it was a book. You give such good note and I can’t wait for what’s next. I hope I make you rich someday. Also, lol, you were SO RIGHT about not calling it “crazies.”
Zareen. I knew from jump that I wanted to work with you. Thank you for being singular in your reads and for speaking fluent me at all times. Our rants are so fortifying.
Justin, Anne, Chrissy, Lisa, Alexa, Mekisha, and everyone at Simon & Schuster. Oh, and Lizzy and gg, for a cover that melts my face. That rose gold is so clutch. And the hair! Swoons.
Marshall! You are my first reader. Always. And I yours. We are . . .
Anne, Asa, Suze, Rose—your eagle eyes and perspective are so valuable. Thank you for suffering the unceremonious homework dumps.
Jenna, for the walks, talks, teas, and the voice memos. So many vms that hold me down and keep my anxious brain from flying away.
Trish, the keeper of my time capsule and the OG EC circa HK. Love you.
Ubakum, Mira, Lara & Sophia, Ahmad—thanks for letting me hang out and for talking to me about how much space your phones take up in your lives. And Caitlin, for assigning the Wired piece that let me chill with teens in the first place.
Books are so wild and I didn’t get to write one until I had so much support. In no particular order thank you to my editorial families for keeping me fed. Noah Callahan-Bever, Elliott Wilson, SHR, Vanessa Satten, Brian Scotto, Choire and Balk, Adam Rogers, Isabel Gonzalez, Sarah Van Boven, Ross Andersen, the Mass Appeal squad, Complex, XXL, The Awl, Wired, GQ, The Fader (the Zeichner years), Billboard, The New York Times, especially the Op Ed desk. And Missbehave, for breaking my back and my heart but giving me my voice.
Dave Bry, who once told me it totally made sense that I wanted to write a book more than I wanted to have a kid.
Eddie, I know you know that I know the role you play. I finally made the bet. FINALLY.
Marc Gerald, for telling me to shut up and write YA already.
Dana and Minya, for their calming energies and wisdom. Jenny Han, for putting up with my DMs.
Vice News Tonight. Thanks for being nice to me despite my punk-ass writing schedule. Brendan Kennedy—you are the best when I am doing the most. IT IS TIME.
La Croix in this order: pamplemousse, coconut, tangerine.
And for all the people waiting for permission to level up enough before they start working on something big and scary—just go in. Don’t be like me.
Finally, if you’re wondering if it counts and it feels like it counts, it counts.