Brother To Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men (Transworld) [Paperback]

Essex Hemphill (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Transworld | Publication Date: August 1991

Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men, begun by Joseph Beam and completed by Essex Hemphill after Beam's death in 1988, is a collection of now-classic literary work by black gay male writers. This new edition includes an introduction by Dr. Jafari Sinclaire Allen.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Believing that the "gay community . . . operates from a one-eyed, one gender, one colorstet without hyphens. sg perception of community ," Beam and Hemphill have compiled a volume of writings that addresspk the emerging black gay sensibility in all of its glory, pain and promise. The strength of the book's politics, however,pk is undermined by offerings of dubious literary merit.pk Generally, the short fiction is only adequately written, depicting young closeted men afraid to come out to their abusive parents and peers. One exception is John Keene Jr.'s "Adelphus King," a sweet tale about a man who falls head over heels for his cousin's boyfriend, a charismatic jazz musician. The poems in the collection speak routinely about sex and love; the most touching deal with the loss of loved ones to AIDS. By far, the most satisfying writing is Ron Simmons's incisive "Some thoughts on challenges facing black gay intellectuals," which exposes the homophobic views of many black writers and calls for the development of "an affirming and liberating philosophical understanding of homosexuality that will self-actualize black gay genius." Hemphill is a poet; Beam, who edited In the Life , died in 1988.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Poet, editor, and activist Essex Hemphill was born April 16, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. Hemphill's first books were the self-published chapbooks Earth Life (1985) and Conditions (1986). He first gained national attention when his work appeared in the anthology In the Life (1986), a seminal collection of writings by black gay men. In 1989, his poems were featured in the award-winning documentaries Tongues Untied and Looking for Langston. In 1991, Hemphill edited Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men, which won a Lambda Literary Award. In 1992, he released Ceremonies: Prose and Poetry, which won the National Library Association's Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual New Author Award. His poems appeared in Obsidian, Black Scholar, Callaloo, Painted Bride Quarterly, Essence, and numerous other newspapers and journals. His work also appeared in numerous anthologies including Gay and Lesbian Poetry in Our Time (1986) and Life Sentences: Writers, Artists and AIDS (1993). He was a visiting scholar at The Getty Center for the History of Art and the Humanities in 1993. On November 4, 1995, Hemphill died from complications relating to AIDS. Biography courtesy of Poets.org, the web site of the Academy of American Poets. Used by permission. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Alyson Books; 1st edition (August 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155583146X
• ISBN-13: 978-1555831462
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,251,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Will Love It!, April 11, 2000

By 

Brian Yates (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brother To Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men (Transworld) (Paperback)

Brother to Brother is an outstanding collection of stories. Anyone (gay or not) can relate to the akwardness of a first kiss or frustration with the "single club scene". These are some of the themes in Brother to Brother. In San Francisco there is a theatre show called "Up Jumped Springtime" that puts some of the stories from this book on stage. Three fine actors do justice to every word. Neither the book nor the show are to be missed. Both are engageing, sexy and will have you in the floor laughing!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good product., March 30, 2011

By 

Blushed - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men (Paperback)

Good product. Item received quickly and in condition seller stated. Would buy from this seller again.
Thank you.

3 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helps to bridge the gap to understanding, December 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Brother To Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men (Transworld) (Paperback)

I am a white gay man who dates black men exclusively. This book is a beautiful insight to one of the most oppressed and misunderstood segements of American society. With the knowledge and insight I have gained from reading this book, I feel I am better able to please my men.