by Saeed Jones
First published 2014
In Prelude to a Bruise, Saeed Jones bares the raw, defiant voice of a queer black man coming of age. From the opening lines - "I've always wanted to be dangerous" - Jones situates the queer black body at the center, making visible what was once withheld. Through a series of vivid, emotive vignettes, he navigates the treacherous dimensions of masculinity and race, transforming silence into an irrepressible energy to claim the spaces he was denied. Evocative and graceful, this daring debut marks the arrival of an essential new talent.
Genres: african-american, contemporary, poetry, biography-memoir, 21st-century, lgbt
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, identity
Period: 21st Century
103 pages · Paperback · Coffee House Press
Content warnings: racism, sexism