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ix Acknowledgments There are many mentors, colleagues, family members, and friends who have helped make this book a reality, most of whom blur the lines between the categories just listed. I would first like to thank Lee Siegel, George Tanabe, and Fritz Seifert, early mentors who helped me focus my fire. My belief that scholarship is as much about saying interesting things about the world as it is about truth and justice owes much to Lee’s passion for language, to Fritz’s dedication to answering the big questions, and to the many wide-ranging conversations I have had with George. I am also grateful to Liisa Malkki, another early mentor whose warmth and generosity exemplify what it means for a scholar to walk the talk; and to David Goldberg, who believed, from the start, that I had something to say and encouraged me to say it as richly as possible. Many thanks also to Susan Coutin, Val Jenness, Victoria Bernal, Diego Vigil, and Richard Perry, all of whom consistently provided insight and encouragement at various stages of this book. I’d also like to thank my many friends from the University of California –Irvine, especially Paul Kaplan and Michael Braun; over the years, our friendship grew through the countless conversations we had during two of my favorite social practices: eating and drinking, usually in reverse order. I look forward to more. Many thanks also to Laura and her family , especially Aaron and Imma, two beautiful children I was lucky to help raise during the earliest stages of this book, and in whose continued growth into independent young people I will always find the deepest joy. I am also grateful to the many people at California State University– Sacramento, especially the faculty, staff, and students in the Division of Criminal Justice who, collectively, have fostered a supportive environment of which it is a pleasure to be a part. And, in Sacramento itself, the Cuellar-Valencia family and my people in Pangaea Park have all helped create a rich sense of community, turning a new city into a new home— x x Acknowledgments Caroline, Paul and Monica, Edward, Nick, Aramis, Alexandra, Michaela, Paul and Ida, Shannon, James, Rob, Raj, Ricardo, Austin, Nick J., Mary M., Dan O., and Louise. I am also incredibly grateful to Ilene Kalish and NYU Press for supporting first-time authors trying to say interesting things about the world, and for encouraging them to write their best. Ilene’s confidence in the project, and her patience in seeing it through have been invaluable. Thanks also to the anonymous reviewers, whose willingness to engage with the book on its own terms have helped considerably, even if I have not been able to address all of their comments. My deepest thanks, however, go to my family. My grandparents, Irma and James Jones, have modeled the highest levels of resiliency, integrity, and dignity even in the face of often overwhelming prejudice and tragedy . If I have managed to absorb even the faintest traces of my grandfather ’s honor and vitality, I’ll be a lucky man indeed. My mother, Gail Sutherland, my father, Vasili Bogazianos, my stepfather, Peter Sutherland, and my stepmother, Carlotta Schoch, have all supported me unconditionally at every stage of my life. Individually, each has passed on traits that I strive to realize in myself—my mother’s generosity, my father’s humor, my stepfather’s curiosity, and my stepmother’s compassion. Finally, this book is dedicated to the City and my New York family, past and present: Brandi, Sean, Chad, Jasmina, Rita and Gabe, Dot, Pinky, and Elizabeth; and, especially, my Get Open brothers—Sebastian BardinGreenberg , Kiambu Dickerson, Avondale Dyer, Jesse Sandler, Carlos Vasconcellos , Saundi Wilson—as well as their families, and the many other friends, musicians, and artists without whom this book simply would not have been written. Thanks also to Overtime Records, Red Five Music, Hip Hop Loves Foundation, Brüknahm, LaVibe Productions, Jazz Zoom, 58 Beats, Dina Tifferet, Lester Bowie and fam, Purchase and Avenue J, Mekka, Martial Truth, and Crazy Life Itself. Peace. ...

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