by Michelle Kuo
I am grateful to my agent, Sam Stoloff, at the Frances Goldin Literary Agency. Sam is the greatest. Ever since I met Sam, I’ve been sure I’m in safe hands and, over the years, my admiration for his virtues has only deepened. I thank Sam for his patience and vision, honesty and wise instincts, graciousness and conviction. He is a champion, mentor, and friend. I also thank the wonderful Ilena Silverman, whose warmth and insight I am grateful for. Thanks to everyone at Frances Goldin, in particular Matt McGowan.
At Random House I thank Hilary Redmon, my brilliant editor. Thanks, Hilary, for being all perfection: meticulous, thoughtful, incisive, conscientious, and uplifting. Hilary’s empathy and vision radiate, and I felt her love on the pages everywhere. I wouldn’t have finished without her encouragement. I am also deeply grateful to David Ebershoff for acquiring this book and believing in the project: David’s penetrating insights, guidance on structure, and generosity were essential, and I am forever in his debt. I am grateful for Kathy Lord’s copyediting, which reflected precision and care, Lucy Silag and Catherine Mikula for their insight and effervescence, Jess Bonet for her terrific guidance, Molly Turpin for her tireless support, and the stellar team at Random House, including Kelly Chian and Caitlin McKenna. I thank Robin Schiff for her jacket design and Alessandro Gottardo for his cover illustration. Andy Ward provided critical comments on my draft. I am grateful for the support and generosity of Susan Kamil, Tom Perry, and Gina Centrello.
I would like to express my thanks to Zennor Compton at Pan Macmillan for her support and Jon Butler for h is warm encouragement.
I wrote part of the book while working at Centro Legal de la Raza in Oakland, an immigrants’ rights nonprofit, and I am grateful for the inspiration my colleagues offered daily: Esmeralda Izarra, Patricia Salazar, Lindsey Wheeler Lee, Laura Polstein, Luis Salas, Kyra Lilien (and Leo and Alex!), Nancy Hanna, Sarah Martin, Jennifer Miller, Bianca Sierra, Juan Vera, Paul Chavez, Carlos Almanza, Abby Figueroa, and Jesse Newmark, as well as the unstoppable duo of Elizabeth Cortez and Fernando Flores. I thank Esmeralda, my first friend in Oakland, for her soulful laughter, generosity, profound capacity to love, and all the pisco sours, and Jesse for being my idea of a real hero—fearless, uncompromising, rooted in community organizing, and deeply empathetic. Thanks, Jesse, for introducing me to Centro, offering clarity during my time as a confused law student, and for that epic evening in the Oakland dive bar. With love for Britton Schwartz, Jalen, and Sonora. I also thank Jody Lewen for her tremendous leadership at the Prison University Project (PUP), the staff at PUP, and the students at San Quentin Prison for the searching intelligence and preparation that they brought to the classroom.
In California, Eunice Cho’s kindness and dedication to immigrants’ rights were a constant inspiration, as anybody who knows her will attest. Shira Wakschlag’s supernaturally good nature and wisdom delighted me. I treasure Ti Ngo’s encouragement, humor, and insight. Chuck Witschorik and Adolfo Ponce have been inspiring, warm, and kind; to know them is a blessing. I am grateful for Merilyn Neher’s warmth and illuminating conversations over the years. Rena Patel and James Andrews encouraged me to keep writing, and I think fondly of our hikes and runs. Omar Amir and Victoria Lee bring grace and light wherever they go. Devora Keller provided kind encouragement and understanding. Andrew Jones and I shared many terrific conversations over beer, saltfish and ackee, and I’m grateful for his characteristically gentle encouragement and impeccable taste. Paddy Riley read a chapter and offered perceptive, generous comments and a wealth of knowledge. Radhika Natarajan’s effervescence is a joy. (May Muppets live forever.) Shah Ali’s kindness and whimsy brightened my days. Evelyn Lew has been like a second mom to me, spoiling me with kindness, moon cakes, airport pickups, and excellent hugs.
Scott Lee has been like a brother to me, and our lifelong friendship has seen many belief-shaping conversations. Shonu Gandhi shared with me her (trademark) superhuman spirit as I wrote, injecting my life with her ebullience and addictive sense of humor. I dearly love Summer Silversmith’s humor, conviction, Scrabble prowess, and integrity. Krish Subrahmanian encouraged this project from the start, trusting it would bear fruit, and his wisdom and friendship are a source of comfort. Avi and Lindsey Singh provided early support, and Avi’s experience as a public defender and advice on criminal-justice issues helped tremendously. Emma MacKinnon read a draft and I’ve been elated to rekindle our old friendship. Hannah Simpson read early drafts and offered discerning and warm advice. Cyrus Habib has been an infectious source of joy for many years. Hannah Callaway is a delight to know: Her company is all ease, graciousness, and intelligence. Shobitha Bhat, soulful and generous, read early drafts and was extraordinarily kind. Victor and Jennifer Lin and Asher have been a jubilant source of love, music, and support. For many years now Karen Sim and Tom Rutishauser have opened up their home, sharing their excellent taste, delicious meals, and keen observations. Emily Stokes, brilliant, provided vital encouragement when I first started writing. Nirvana Tanoukhi offered essential and trenchant advice, and it’s thrilling to know her.
Warm thanks to Chris Gainey, David Thacker, John Minardi, Sarah Beiderman, Amy Barsky, Jondou Chen, Peiting Li, Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins, Thomas Chatterton Williams, Ryan Calder, Kathryn Eidmann, Manav Kumar, Albert Wang, Rahul Kanakia, Roy Chan, Jacob Mikanowski, Ryan Acton, Alvin Henry, Hannah Murphy, Andy Staudt, and Jake and Dorli Lamar, with gratitude to Dorli for her transcendent singing lessons and support. Deep thanks to Chris Gainey for his wonderful music and Alex Bushe for his beautiful work in film editing. Pouya Shahbazian and Chris McEwen have been encouraging, insightful, and supportive.
I am grateful to have had wonderful teachers and mentors. Susan Cole and Michael Gregory’s Education Advocacy Clinic/Trauma Policy Learning Initiative, advocating for children impacted by family violence and students with disabilities, helped sustain my soul in law school. Jane Bestor was an immense source of encouragement and wisdom. I am indebted to Darcy Frey, whose encouraging and perceptive comments early on gave me the confidence to keep writing. Claire Messud’s brilliance and kindness deeply inspired me. I am grateful to Bret Johnston for his generosity and insight all these years and for being a champion of his students. Thanks to Randall Kennedy for his incisive questions and alert mind. Carol Steiker’s passionate dedication to justice and steady encouragement of her students are extraordinary. I thank Judy Murciano for her indefatigable spirit and encouragement. I thank Monika Wadman, Oona Ceder, Cynthia Monteiro, Katherine Vaz, Gish Jen, Mr. Larson, Jorie Graham, Ms. Stieve, Mrs. Arwady, Mrs. Jilek, Scott Friesner, Mrs. Leong, Dr. Elzinga, Dr. Yang, Mr. and Mrs. Scheidt, Mr. Sinclair, Mr. Streeter, Ms. Addison, Mrs. Hach, Mrs. King, Mrs. Hunt, Rebecca Jansen, Brian Snell, Jim Menchinger, and other teachers in Portage and Kalamazoo.
Susan Butler Plum, director of the Skadden Fellowship, has been an inspirational source of support, a true advocate and champion of her fellows. Thanks to John Glassie for his thoughtful edits on the “Lives” column piece. Thanks to the L.A. Review of Books, in particular Evan Kindley, Laurie Winer, and Tom Lutz. I thank my dear friend and mentor Warren Ilchman at the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for his insight, kindness, and steadfast encouragement.
I thank the Honorable Judge John T. Noonan and Mary Lee Noonan. Judge Noonan’s integrity, erudition, conviction, and extraordinary writing offer a model for a jurisprudence that is humane and intelligent. Thanks to Mary Lee for her generosity, warmth, and support over the years.
My community at American University of Paris has been supportive as I entered the final stages of writing. I’m grateful for Stephen Sawyer’s warmth and generosity, Miranda Spieler’s loyalty and brilliance (and Althea’s radiance), Elena Berg’s inspiring dedication, Philip Golub’s incisive passion, Susan Perry’s generous mentorship, and Peter Hagel’s always-considerate and uplifting spirit. With warm thanks to Michael Stoepel, Kerstin Carlson, Linda Martz, Elizabeth Kinne, and the inimitable Brenda Torney. I am grateful for a Mellon grant from AUP that allowed me to
view microfilm on Helena’s history and to the library staff for its support. I thank the wonderful students at AUP, who come from all corners of the world and have energized and inspired me.
This book is dedicated to my dad and mom, Ming-Shang Kuo and Hwa-Mei Lin Kuo, who have made so much in my life possible. I thank them for being the heart of everything and for all their generosity, humor, and support throughout my life. My older brother, Alex Kuo, has always been there for me, ever since I waddled off, spoke late as a child, or readied myself for a high school speech contest: Alex was there to find me, translate me, and, later, coach me. Thanks to my sister-in-law Maria Jimenez Buedo for her laughter and astute insights, and to dear Felix for his heart-stopping charm. I thank my grandma, Yee-Rong Yu, for her stories and Mandarin lessons. I thank my in-laws, Maw-Kuen Wu and Hui-chin Tang Wu, for their kindness and encouragement, and Debby Chang and Phil Wu for their exceptional generosity and open hearts, and Micah for his winning smile. Thanks to my excellent cousins, uncles, and aunts.
And last I thank Albert Wu, my best friend, collaborator, great love, and ideal reader. I didn’t know they made people like Albert, and sometimes I still can’t believe he exists. I am the ever-indebted beneficiary of his sunny, bright spirit, unbounded kindness, insanely versatile brain, and curiosity about basically everything. Thank you, Albert, for taking the high road without blinking, for lacking a petty bone in your body, and for your joy and compassion, feelings that seem as natural to you as air. You were by my side as I wrote; you didn’t doubt when I did. Love you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MICHELLE KUO was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She taught English at an alternative school in the Arkansas Delta for two years. After teaching, she attended Harvard Law School as a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow and worked legal aid at a nonprofit for Spanish-speaking immigrants in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, California, on a Skadden Fellowship, with a focus on tenants’ and workers’ rights. She has volunteered as a teacher at the Prison University Project and clerked for a federal appeals court judge in the Ninth Circuit. Currently she teaches courses on race, law, and society at the American University of Paris, where she recently won the Board of Trustees Award for Distinguished Teaching.
@kuokuomich
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