I remain deeply grateful to my family and the many friends who support, uplift, comfort and inspire me as I work. Special thanks to Will Alexander and his entire family for keeping me company and making sure I ate meals when the deadlines were looming. Also thanks to Kobi Libii, Nicole Valentine, Emily Kokie, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Nova Ren Suma, Tirzah Price, Alice Dodge, and Kerry Land for their support, as well as all of my colleagues at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Thanks to my agent, Ginger Knowlton, and her team at Curtis Brown, Ltd., for their work in bringing my writing to the world. Thanks to Noa Wheeler for sparking the idea for How It Went Down and helping bring that book to life with sufficient success to support this companion book! Finally, to Kate Farrell, my editor on this book, for leaping into the existing world of these characters and patiently guiding me through the creative process.

For all the teachers, librarians, parents, and others who share this book with teens, I’m grateful for the efforts you make to bring awareness to acts of bias and violence occurring in our midst. I hope the book sparks conversation, reflection, and a desire to work for equality and justice for all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kekla Magoon is the author of several books for young adults, including 37 Things I Love, the Coretta Scott King Honor/John Steptoe Award-winning The Rock and the River, and the Coretta Scott King Honor book How It Went Down. She has also contributed to the anthology Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors on the Dark Side of Love. She lives in Vermont. Visit her online at keklamagoon.com, or sign up for email updates here.

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