National Book Award Finalist Danez Smith Discusses Writing One's Whole Self: Black, Queer, HIV Positiv

Danez Smith doesn't mince words. As a 2017 finalist for the National Book Award for his second book, Don't Call Us Dead, Smith has chosen to paint literary pictures of life as a black, queer, HIV-positive person living in the world. Smith spoke to me about his work, and the following excerpt of that interview is being published on TheBody to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Read more here!

for single black mothers everywhere raising queer, different, gifted, non-normative children; for penny:

you did not fail me,
single black mother.
i did not fail you,
single black mother. 
together,
we failed expectations
of what a single black mother
raising a queer child should be
when there exist no model.
together, 
we failed normal
notions of family, 
of being. 
together,
we haved learned a new language
of love, grace, and understanding.
together, 
we haved radically mothered
each other. 
together,
we will heal.