PinnedThe Power of Black Art In Harlem, Black Power, and BeyondIn an ever-changing world of book-bannings and regressive social laws in the United States, it is imperative to acknowledge and celebrate the unique trajectory and invaluable contributions of black artists throughout history. As a black artist myself, I’ve had countless uphill climbs in this industry, whether it be fighting to…BlackLivesMatter7 min readBlackLivesMatter7 min read
PinnedWho Loved Gay Black Boys Before Moonlight?The 2016 film, Moonlight, is about Chiron — a black boy gradually becoming a man in America’s ghettos — coming to terms with his sexuality in three chapters. Even two years after its release, there is a scene in it that still reaches me. Young Chiron is dealing with the…LGBTQ15 min readLGBTQ15 min read
PinnedMember-onlyOn Signing My First Book DealOnly a few months ago, my outlook on the creative and art world was bleak. I was in muddy waters with my manuscript that had been on submissions for six months. I turned down a book offer from an editor that I’m pretty sure hadn’t even read the book. I…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Published inMomentum·PinnedMember-onlyThe History and Power of Queer Black FriendshipsFour legendary creative collaborations — The first time I knew my words had triggered something deep in someone was when I finished a two-week summer writers workshop when I was 15. I climbed into my mother’s car, read her one of my poems, and watched her face change as she heard it. If my own…Black History Month6 min readBlack History Month6 min read
Aug 27Three Lessons From A Year Of Being A Published AuthorOn what keeps me moving forward 1. Success won’t always feel how you imagine. Around the time that I made my book announcement, I learned that my writing mentor of about a year had passed away. His name was KL Burd. He was a family man, went to church, and wrote endearing books for young black kids to…Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Aug 9O’Shae Sibley’s murder was caused by America’s debilitating ignorance of LGBTQ+ peopleIn 2015, I was living in Big Sky, Montana for the summer and working as a housekeeper. On my 21st birthday, I went out with new friends. I introduced myself to a guy sitting next to me at the bar. The man looked back, clenched his jaw, and muttered a…LGBTQ5 min readLGBTQ5 min read
Aug 8I’m Doing A Talk For “Medium Day”Last year, I published my first book, When They Tell You To Be Good; a memoir with Tin House Books about my political coming of age. Among the many complicated and moving reactions that I’ve gotten, one of the most compelling is… Aren’t you too young to write a memoir? …Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Jul 18the places that writing has taken me this past yearWhen ink meets paper, the world changes. That is what I learned at 12 years old and am continuing to learn. Whether it be sharing my short stories with classmates in middle school or traveling to Kenyon, OH when I was 15 to have long chats with other writers…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
May 2Isaac Julien: New Futures, Queer PastsHow Julien’s transgressive reworkings of history and time itself have expanded our potential to deal with the complexities of the present and paved the way for generations of artists to come In 1982 twenty-year-old film student Isaac Julien was walking through the East End of London when he encountered a…Isaac Julien9 min readIsaac Julien9 min read
Mar 15The Unexpected Gift: How a Book Event Helped Heal My Inner ChildIt was after my book event in Toronto when my conversation partner invited me with some of his friends for drinks at a nearby bar. Somewhat anxious after the event, but mostly elated from all of the love and gratitude I’d received, I decided to join because the release of…Writing3 min readWriting3 min read
