Jason B Crawford

I was lucky enough to get to see crawford read in person, and I just had to buy this collection when the reading was over!

Most of the reading was from this collection, along with some brand new unpublished work. I had just finished reading his second chapbook, Twerkable Moments, and in this one the focus shifts from dancing to cruising/hookup culture, as well as the vulnerabilities specific to those at the intersection of Black and queer. (My heart in my throat as he read from one poem depicting a meetup with a stranger in the woods — even as the poet is sitting safe in front of me.)

Favorite lines:

I guess leaving this earth is just me settling my
debt with god, he gave me a body and sins and blood and
desire and let me fuck who I wanted...

… (mehr)

Somewhere in between ordering this book from Paper Nautilus and my copy arriving in the mail, a local bookstore announced they would be hosting a poetry reading with the author! With that sort of synchronicity happening, I obviously had to attend.

Since this is such a tiny little chapbook, I decided to read it in the morning before the event so it would all be fresh in my mind — as it turned out, I read most of it walking to the event.

I think anyone who has ever wanted to be broken open will find these poems deeply resonant — in these particular cases the breaking/dissolving is done by music (definitely specifically Black music), dancing, clubbing, queer desire. The body here is source of both vulnerability and reclaiming, wound and ecstasy. There are references to pop culture and lyrics and place to delight those familiar.

The reading was wonderful, but more on that in my review of Year of the Unicorn Kidz, which was the collection the reading was in support of.… (mehr)

Year of the Unicorn Kidz, jason b. crawford's debut full length poetry collection, tackles the uniquely queer experience of the beauty and ugliness of love and desire. From the joy of the dance club, to the fear of surviving a random hookup, these poems capture the multitude of challenges facing anyone in the queer community as they navigate trying to find their place in this country, and the universe at large.

Poetry does not usually work for me, so imagine my surprise and delight when each and every single one of these poems spoke to me on some level. The poem "Glisten," in particular, immediately transported me back to my younger queer days and the simple joy of dancing at the club, listening to your favorite music, wondering how the DJ was going to transport you next.

An important collection for any young queer person to read. Highly recommended.… (mehr)