Thank you to the Purdue M.F.A. program and to Marianne Boruch, Don Platt, Kaveh Akbar, and Terese Marie Mailhot. Thank you, Adrian Matejka and Dana Roeser, for being the first to call me a poet. Thank you, Al Lopez, for taking me under your wing. Thank you, Jeff Amos, Laura Lee, Robert Powers, Samantha Atkins, Hannah Rahimi, Juliana Goodman, Diana Clarke, John Milas, Carey Compton, Megan Denton Ray, Mitchell Jacobs, Alex Stinton, Noah Baldino, Charles Peck, Caleb Milne, and Hannah Dellabella.

Thank you to the Rona Jaffe Foundation, the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University, the Indiana Arts Commission, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Community of Writers at Squaw Valley, Lighthouse Works, and Sarabande Books for your critical support that made writing this book possible.

Thank you to all of the organizers I ever crossed paths with in the years that shaped some of this writing, in particular my compañerxs at UltraViolet and Presente. Thank you to the latter for continuing the work with Dignidad Literaria. To all of the families I met in deportation defense work, to all of the women of Karnes, thank you for your fight.

Thank you to Casa Víctor Hugo in La Habana, Association Cuba Cooperation France, and the University of Miami Cuban Heritage Collection archives.

Thank you to everyone who read early portions of this novel and provided invaluable feedback, especially Diego Iñiguez-Lopez, Yareli Urbina, Christine Vines, Robert Powers, Jake Zucker, Jesus Iñiguez, Iraida H. Lopez, Alexander Chee, Carmen Maria Machado, and Oscar Villalon.

Mi gente de Cuba: este libro no hubiera sido posible sin ustedes. Tío Jorge, gracias por creer siempre en mí y por el gran regalo de un segundo hogar lleno de tanto amor, cariño, y jodienda. Te adoro. Gracias tío Pablito y Ramses. Gracias a Sara, Lina, Madelín, Ariel, Neisy, Robney y todas mis amistades cubanas. Yolanda, Yolita, Rosa y Yoan, siempre los llevo en mi corazón.

Gracias a toda mi familia de Mexíco, en especial mi abuela Raquel, mi hermana Geraldine, y mis sobrinos Toñito, Valentina, y Fer. Gracias a Brenda, Conchis, Carlos, Pope, Andrea, Carlitos, Popito, Alejandra y todo el resto de mi familia. Tía Susie, abuelo Porfirio, y Chuchito, los extraño cada día.

Thank you, Yaneris and Zoila. Thank you, Domingo, Aasheekaa, Lala, Megan, Frank, and Kelvin. Thank you, Jake, for being a steady source of support through every single stage of this journey.

Thank you, Amanda, Tía, Allie, Diego, Ofe, Toty, and Lilia. Thank you, Dad, An, and Maya. Thank you, Frida. Gracias Abuelita por todo. THANK YOU, Mami, for everything.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR