Slapboxing with Jesus

acknowledgments

More important than anything or one, I’d like to thank my wonderful family: to Kezia Kanyike, Christopher Kanyike and Shana LaValle, you three have helped to raise this man. To James LaValle, I think of you as well. Paul LaValle who always represents. Hileria LaValle who is kind, beautiful and good. Chris Seninde, Rebecca Bain and their families have always been loving and supportive. To Damali, Namutebi and the Seninde family in Uganda. Thanks also to Jessica Kazina.

These are my peoples, I owe you each: Eric Gluck, the Gluck Family, Rob Farley, Ramon M. Gonzalez III (I know, this isn’t even one line), Tyrone Martinez-Black, Ms. Martinez, Akira Bryson, the Bryson Family, Ashanti Dawson, Zai Collier, the Collier Family, Rahsaan “Rocky” Robinson, Roy Clovis, Krishna Collie, Andres Hernandez, Nate Williams, Roberto Garcia, Nina Cooke, Scott Ruff, Camilla Hayes and Lisette Belliard. More recently Mat Johnson, Doug Jones, Myron Hardy, Andrea Green, Julie Nichols, Joanna Hershon, the great Peter Shen and Valerie Roche.

The title of this collection is a sample from a line in “Daytona 500” by Ghostface Killah. In three words a good poet captured what took me two hundred pages.

Heather Clay, I am in your debt for having made this book possible (truly).

Thanks to Junot Díaz for giving me my best writing lesson early on: that we could write about ourselves.

Jennie Smith. Your work keeps teaching me what more a writer can accomplish. Can I embarrass you? Every time I think you’re the greatest, you get better.

I was fortunate enough to have four magnificent writing teachers: thanks to Rebecca Goldstein for championing the love of writing, Helen Schulman for forcing my stories to tell a story before anything else, Maureen Howard for precision, a careful eye on the manuscript and of course, a leg up. And Michael Cunningham for energetic praise, tireless support and genuine inspiration.

Deb Treisman of The New Yorker for such interest, heartfelt support and kind words.

BOMB magazine, specifically Suzan Sherman and Minna Proctor for being the first ones to take a chance on anything in here.

Gratitude to Marion Ettlinger for taking a great picture and making me feel so fine while working. Let’s make a pilgrimage back to Flushing.

Special praise to the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, a boon to any writer who takes his work seriously. I am indebted to you for the time, the space and, oh yeah, the money.

Jenny Minton, you must have read this a thousand times. Thanks for helping me to push, pull, punch and primp this book into what we’ll show the world.

Adam Pringle, permissions king. Tireless. You are owed many, many drinks.

Immense gratitude to Rob Hewitt and to Marty Asher, Katy Barrett, Susie Leness, David Hyde, Philip Patrick, Anne Messitte, Mark Maguire, and Suvi Asch at Vintage Books for working so earnestly and with such excitement to get this book out to the public, to make my work worthwhile.

Aaron Hamburger for your performance and help early on.

To Katherine Fausset for your concern, appreciation and supportive words at the end of those rejection letters.

Lastly thanks to superagent Gloria Loomis for loving this collection, being its most vocal advocate and for your belief in me.