One To Watch (56 page)

I’ve been lucky to have some truly amazing teachers, and I want to mention a few of them here: Thank you to Dolores Antoine, Marcia Greenwald, Gail Ciecierski, Dennis Murray, Tom Manos, Shana Stein, Brad Riddell, Ted Braun, Janet Scott Batchler, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Michael Saltzman, Steven Bochco, Trey Callaway, and particularly Connie Congdon, who taught me how to listen, and how not to be afraid.

Thank you to Whitney Frick for steering the ship so peerlessly, to Sarah Horgan for our gorgeous cover, and to everyone at Random House who worked so hard to get us across the finish line: Jess Bonet, Melissa Sanford, Avideh Bashirrad, Cindy Berman, Maria Braeckel, Susan Corcoran, Barbara Fillon, Rachelle Mandik, Jen Valero, Sasha Sadikot, and the incredible RH sales force, whose enthusiasm made my heart grow about fifty sizes. Thanks also to Fiona Davis for helping us launch this book with a bang.

Thank you to Corey Ackerman and Katy McCaffrey for championing me and my writing, and to Helen Land for showing me how much better my life could get (then helping me through the door). Thank you to Trish Welte, Erin Kamler, Rachel LaBruyere, Tia Subramanian, and Taylor Salditch. As some artists thank God at the Grammys, so now would I like to thank Hillary Rodham Clinton. Thank you for inspiring the HFA family every day to do all the good we can.

Okay. Last one.

Thank you, Julia Masnik. Thanks for signing me off a makeup blog. Thank you for Sondra. Thank you for giving me a reason to keep going in 2016 when I couldn’t get out of bed, then for gently pointing out that while writing three pages might
feel
like a big accomplishment, it was not enough to sell a book. Thank you for knowing immediately that this idea was the one. Thank you for being my favorite snob, for ebbing my panic one jillion times per annum, for bringing Lisa Vanderpump levels of elegant real talk into my life on the daily. And that one time, when I was in a genuine crisis and you stayed on the phone with me until I was better, and I thanked you for being a really good agent? Thank you for reminding me that you are also, in point of fact, my friend. Champagne wishes and all the rest of it. We’re here because of you.

Kate Stayman-London is a novelist, screenwriter, and political strategist. She served as lead digital writer for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and has written for notable figures ranging from President Obama and Malala Yousafzai to Anna Wintour and Cher. When not writing or traveling, Kate can be found obsessively ranking Taylor Swift songs, laughing loudly with friends over really good bottles of wine, and, of course, watching reality TV. She lives in Los Angeles.

katestaymanlondon.com

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