Sarong Party Girls

Acknowledgments

This book would not have been possible without these people and I give them immense thanks:

To my extraordinary agent, Jin Auh, who believed in and loved Jazzy from the very beginning. Much appreciation to Mike Hale for his encouragement during the early writing of SPG. To Gordon Dahlquist, for reading closely each step of the way — Jazzy’s world was all the better for having him know it early on. And to John “Nonny” Searles, for his enormous heart.

I am also grateful to the following:

My parents, Tan Soo Liap and Cynthia Wong, and sister, Daphne Tan — their love buoys me each day. And my incredible and always inspiring family in Singapore.

The wonderful team at William Morrow: my amazing editor Rachel Kahan, Tavia Kowalchuk, Lynn Grady, Kelly Rudolph, Shelby Meizlik and Mumtaz Mustafa. As well as Jessica Friedman at the Wylie Agency.

Friends whose love and nudges kept me going: Simpson Wong, Henry Wu, Julia Glass, Drew Larimore, Judy Blume, Jeanette Lai, Kevin Cheng, Regina Jaslow, Brian Fidelman, S.J. Rozan, Sachin Shenolikar, Robert Sabat, Charles Chris Chiang, Hillary Jordan, Willin Low, Diane Cook, A.J. Ashworth, Albert Forns, Chandrahas Choudhury, Bill Goldstein, Emily Miller, Peter Fortunato, Marie-Atina Goldet, Christy Funsch, Theresa Wong, Jonathan Santlofer, Gretchen Somerfeld, Rachel Cantor, Sari Wilson, Camille DeAngelis, Tony Eprile, Noa Charuvi Shai, Robinson McClellan, Paula Whyman, Natalie Wainwright, Pam Loring, Greg Morago, Clifford Pugh, Donna Kato, Debra Bass, Joe Amodio, Anne Bratskeir, Lauren Young, Monica Drake, Laura Sullivan, Stephanie Desmon, Laura Smitherman, Rachelle Pestikas, Abe Kwok, Robert Christie, Ryan Page, Bobby Caina Calvan, Susan Bolin-Wright, Susan Segrest, Marcus Brauchli and Paul Steiger. And thanks to TalkingCock.com’s Colin Goh for Singlish consultation.

Artist colonies that provided havens for writing: Yaddo, Hawthornden Castle, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, The Studios of Key West, Ragdale Foundation, VCCA Le Moulin à Nef and Art OMI’s Ledig House, as well as Elaina Richardson, Candace Wait, Margot Haliday Knight, Jed Dodds, Elena Devers, Erin Stover-Sickmen, Cheryl Fortier, Camille Durin, DW Gibson, Skip Gianocca, Georgina Goodall and Mrs. Drue Heinz. Colony chefs who fed me terribly well: Ruth Shannon, Linda Williams, Dan Tosh, Mike Hazard, Rita Soares-Kern.

To the National Arts Council of Singapore.

And Hamish Robinson.