I never wanted to write this book. I had to. I had to find a way to pin my own nightmares down and study them after I lost my sister, Julia, very suddenly in 2018. And while my sister’s death was certainly foundational to much of this book, it wouldn’t be right to simply “acknowledge” her here. For that, of all things. Her death was not a contribution. She did not choose it, want it, or deserve it. She was so much more, and I refuse to acknowledge her through the lens of tragedy. Instead, I’ll say this:
