by Brontez Purnell
In this memoir in verse, Purnell’s fifth book, he takes us on a ride from his Alabama childhood to his adult life in California. From one poem to the next, he takes on gossip, sex, mental health, past loves, pop culture – settling scores and taking stock as he goes.
I loved following the winding syntax and line breaks all the way to the punch line. Purnell is irreverent, unapologetically gay and black, and invariably funny. He calls people out but is also self-aware and often self-deprecating when he shares absurd vignettes from his life, making for a great balance.
Beyond the humour, I often found the words gorgeous and moving, particularly when Purnell is looking back at the places and people that made him, and when he explores what it means for him to grow older as a gay man and the new place he finds himself in among his peers.
Uncompromising and infinitely quotable – a (queer) joy!
Review by Leti