Lessons On Being Tenderheaded

by Janae Johnson

Overview

Janae Johnson's debut poetry collection explores  the notion of being tenderheaded, going beyond Black hair to explore the ways we mask pain.
Originally inspired by women's basketball, the book evolves into a poignant coming-of-age narrative centered around Black queer masculinity, emotional healing, and the quest for belonging.
Combining lyrical experiments and personified prose, each poem embraces humor, celebrating moments like an eight-hour hair appointment and the empowering choice to don a ponytail. Lessons On Being Tenderheaded  shows the reader how we  suppress  both major and minor traumas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781949342413
Publisher:	Write Bloody Publishing
Publication date:	04/05/2022
Edition description:	First edition
Pages:	102
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Janae Johnson is an award-winning poet, performer and educator. Her writing celebrates and centers Black queer maculinity, kinship and belonging. She is a former National Poetry Slam Champion, Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion and a founder of two nationally recognized poetry venues: The Root Slam (Oakland, CA) and The House Slam (Boston, MA). Janae's full-length poetry collection Lessons on Being Tenderheaded released in Spring 2022 by Write Bloody Publishing. Janae currently resides in Tacoma, WA.

Table of Contents

Foreword 11

No One Said Don't Shoot 15

Reckless, Brandon 17

Ladies Love Cool J 18

My Neighbor Nash Say, Part I 20

Help Defense 22

Ashley Says Starting Your Period Feels Like a River Flowing 23

Black Rage I: A Colored Museum 24

_ & Basketball 26

Faceguard 27

A Litany of Things That Are (Not) My Business 28

Sweeter Than a Swisher 30

Bangers 31

My Neighbor Nash Say, Part II 32

Pedagogy Or; Instead of Learning About Sex in Your Health Education Class 34

Music of My Mind: A Lip Sync Vanguard 35

To Hear Her Tell It 39

Woo 43

& Pose 45

Initiation 46

Lessons on Being Bald-Headed 48

When the Officer Asks Me to Get Out of the Vehicle, I 49

Black Rage II: Forewarning 51

My Neighbor Nash Say, Part III 52

Lessons on Being Tenderheaded 54

Etiquette 56

Ankle Weights 57

Queer Divorce but Not Really Cause We Were Just Dating 58

Ode to My Ripped Pants 62

Ode to My Manspread 63

'I Am Learning to Love Myself in Pieces' 64

Andragogy Or; Hold Me 66

When I Extend My Knee & Curl My Ankle 69

Deep End 70

Reckless, Taqwa 71

Black Rage III: Not for Profit 72

On Drowning 73

For Us 74

Ball Is Life 76

My Neighbor Nash Say, Part IV 77

Last Call 79

Notes 83

Acknowledgments 87