The Fixer

The Fixer (Duke University Press) dives into the unpredictable, bureaucratic game known as the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery as it plays out in the country of Togo. Charles Piot ’73 follows Togolese visa broker Kodjo Nicolas Batema—known as a “fixer”—as he guides his clients through the nerve-racking lottery application and interview process. The authors show what hopeful immigrants must go to reach the United States, featuring the positive and negative experiences of the few who make it through.