How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir

by Jones, Saeed
ISBN: 9781501132742
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Used - Trade Paperback - 9781501132742

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Overview

WINNER OF THE 2019 KIRKUS PRIZE IN NONFICTION

ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES'S 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2019

One of the best books of the year as selected by The Washington Post; NPR; Time; The New Yorker; O, The Oprah Magazine; Harper's Bazaar; Elle; Kirkus Reviews; Publishers Weekly; BuzzFeed; Goodreads; School Library Journal; and many more.

"A moving, bracingly honest memoir that reads like fevered poetry." --The New York Times Book Review

"Jones's voice and sensibility are so distinct that he turns one of the oldest of literary genres inside out and upside down." --NPR'S Fresh Air

"People don't just happen," writes Saeed Jones. "We sacrifice former versions of ourselves. We sacrifice the people who dared to raise us. The 'I' it seems doesn't exist until we are able to say, 'I am no longer yours.'"

Haunted and haunting, How We Fight for Our Lives is a stunning coming-of-age memoir. Jones tells the story of a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears. Through a series of vignettes that chart a course across the American landscape, Jones draws readers into his boyhood and adolescence--into tumultuous relationships with his family, into passing flings with lovers, friends, and strangers. Each piece builds into a larger examination of race and queerness, power and vulnerability, love and grief: a portrait of what we all do for one another--and to one another--as we fight to become ourselves.

An award-winning poet, Jones has developed a style that's as beautiful as it is powerful--a voice that's by turns a river, a blues, and a nightscape set ablaze. How We Fight for Our Lives is a one-of-a-kind memoir and a book that cements Saeed Jones as an essential writer for our time.

  • Format: TradePaperback
  • Author: Jones, Saeed
  • ISBN: 9781501132742
  • Condition: Used
  • Dimensions: 7.90 x 0.50
  • Number Of Pages: 224
  • Publication Year: 2020

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  • An Honest, Impactful Read

    Elise D. - 5 years 10 months ago

    Brutally honest and authentic, Jones shares his experiences in this memoir of growing up gay and queer in a world where both of these identities are looked down upon. Although uncomfortable at times, How We Fight For Our Lives will hold your interest throughout its entirety. I would highly recommend this memoir to anyone who wants a better idea of how intersecting identities can produce unique challenges. #SummerReading

  • An enjoyable quick read!

    HPB S. - 5 years 11 months ago

    This stellar coming-of-age memoir about the black queer experience was one of my favorite reads of the year. Coming in under 200 words, the author's life story unfolds fairly quickly and didn't miss a beat in keeping my interest during the entirety of my reading. I would highly recommend this book!