First published 2005
Editor E. Lynn Harris assembles a quarter century of black gay male literature in this comprehensive collection. The anthology begins with James Baldwin's 1979 final novel Just Above My Head and traces the evolution through radical 1980s works, breakthrough 1990s successes, and contemporary pieces. Harris brings together 47 pieces spanning stories, poems, novel excerpts, and essays from writers including Samuel R. Delany, Essex Hemphill, Melvin Dixon, Marlon Riggs, Larry Duplechan, Randall Kenan, Thomas Glave, and James Earl Hardy. The collection features both established voices and emerging talents, documenting how black gay male writers have shaped American literature. Harris maps the innovative trajectory of this literary movement, showing how these authors carved out space for their experiences and perspectives. The anthology offers readers access to voices that transformed fiction and poetry over two and a half decades.
Genres: literature, 20th-century, african-american, 21st-century, lgbt, gay
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-justice
Period: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s
Hardcover · Unknown
Content warnings: homophobia, racism