Go the Way Your Blood Beats: An Anthology of Lesbian and Gay Fiction by African-American Writers

By Shawn Stewart Ruff

Book Overview

Thirty-two stories examine African American lesbian and gay identity. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805047360
• ISBN13: 9780805047363
• Release Date: January 1836
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

"One of the greatest publications to come out this year."

Rarely does a body of text capture the deep ethos of a definitive subculture the way "Go The Way Your Blood Beats" (ed. Shawn Stewart Ruff) does. Covering vast emotional terrain, this engaging compilation of short stories by African American gay and lesbian writers transcends temporal historical taxonomy by intermeshing works from distinguished luminaries, such as Alice Walker and James Baldwin, with lesser known contemporary authors. The interplay of diverse literary voices provides the reader with a refreshing fluctuation between uncanny raw realism and the sublime poetic stream of consciousness. Through divisions along contextual genres, Ruff also explores pivotal issues intrinsically tied to living, loving in the face of resistance. Incorporating quintessential coming of age stories, distinct identities, eros, and violence--among other things, the thematic distinctions work to convey polymorphic realms of experience. One of the most moving entries appears in the section entitled "Blood is Thicker Than Water", which peruses familial bonds. "Near the End of the World" by Bruce Morrow is a beautiful eulogy of a son recounting his father's death from AIDS. It incorporates reoccurring haunting visions of vines, a powerful metaphor for kinship, with poignant memoirs. By interweaving observation of physical attrition and mental deterioration with strong soliloquy, Morrow creates a vivid portrait that evokes consternation: "Remember me. I give you all these, my estate, my jewels, my leather chaps, my braided whip. Take it and use it sparingly. They don't know who you are until you pull out that mighty strap. It takes a masochist to create a sadist. Don't let them cut you to pieces. And don't be afraid to use commas. And explanation points--I know they're out of fashion." Another work "Smoke, Lilies, and Jade" by Richard Bruce Nuget (Harlem Renaissance extraordinare) captivates the reader with poetic verse and liquid imagery, celebrating an interracial gay love affair. With analogies such as "red cala lilies", the narrator relishes every attribute of his lover. "...We'll hang our hats on the crook of the moon... "and other romantic language also lends to a vicarious appreciation. References to famed literary friends, i.e. Langston Hughes, and influences make this piece ever more intruiging. The prolific anthology of brilliantly composed text speaks with honesty, love, and vitality. "Go The Way Your Blood Beats"has a lasting impact on the reader, as it holds sagacious truths. It is one of the greatest publications to come out this year.