Knucklehead
Poems
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
dear Knucklehead,
perhaps you are like me:
always figuring out if your soul and your skin
are thick enough to protect your body from sticky stones
thrown from the mouths of those who know
that spoken words have the power to spit out freedom
and break-in bones.
While society often assigns the label “knucklehead” to kids with attitude problems, this brilliant and electric poetry collection by spoken word poet and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people who are misunderstood and unheard.
There are poems about the power of language to transcend the racist and homophobic constructs of a society prejudging Black boys. There are poems that serve as a salve for a world that inflicts hurt, poems that offer a beacon of hope for the curious and questioning, and poems that transform the way people love Black gay boys and men.
This is a journey of self-discovery through history, family, friendship, and falling in love. Knucklehead is a breathtaking work, full of black-and-white illustrations and unforgettable poetry that will heal, provoke, and inspire.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Poet and educator Keith (How the Boogeyman Became a Poet) delivers a poignant, hip-hop-fueled collection of poetry that's equal parts memoir, love letter, and rallying cry to Black boys. Often marginalized by society and labeled a "knucklehead" as a child, Keith highlights in this powerfully affirming assemblage the ability to use language as an essential force for rising above various societal challenges. Throughout, the self-proclaimed nerd ("for real for real, I wanna be known as that artsy-fartsy intellect") tackles topics surrounding toxic masculinity, police violence, and generational trauma and invokes "the spirit of everything African within me" to declare freedom from these issues using varying poetic styles. Keith's personal journey—including his adolescence as a Black gay youth living a camouflaged existence where "girl-friends were my girlfriend" and the freedom that came with living "onstage, unafraid"—is interwoven with poems depicting other Black boys' treatment in a society that marks them from birth as targets. Searing language and palpable messaging permeate this dazzling, from-the-heart poetry collection that's sure to inspire the eponymous knuckleheads and beyond to find their voice and use it for liberation. Ages 14–up.
