The book opens with “A Note.” Here, Jason Reynolds reveals that the book began as a formless creation, evolving into a letter written in parts over years. He discusses the struggle to cling to his dream amid a personal meltdown and the frustration of those around him. Witnessing the lack of imagination in teenagers, he acknowledges their practicality yet feels the pain of being unable to let go of his own dreams. During the writing process, he realizes that other dreamers, much like him, feel frustrated and weary, especially when confronted with criticism. He continued writing and the work emerged as a letter to himself, “a mighty, mighty thing” (4), and a lifeline during times of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

The book opens with an epigraph by American author James Baldwin. It states the “interior life” holds significance and emphasizes how people’s “intangible dreams” possess the power to influence the tangible world.