He sheds the version of himself as a person who changes for others, who weaponizes his body, to grow into his identity. Instead, “We sacrifice former versions of ourselves.” Jones shares his process with the reader. “Every time I met a man for sex,” he writes, “a new name blossomed in my mouth like a flower I could pull from between my parted lips and hand to a stranger in front of me.” Creating different identities enables him to exist in some capacity.Īs the memoir progresses, Jones grapples with becoming who he truly is, instead of donning false identities or changing himself. The body, it seems, is how Jones creates new identities. It must be noted that the text is sexually explicit and there are triggers for abuse. Yet, violent and racist sexual encounters leave Jones to explore the intersection between the body and identity. Sex is an act of agency, an act of existence - an act of defiance.
In attempt to take back control of his corporeal self, Jones decides to “make a weapon out of. At a young age, Jones learns of and then experiences the violence inflicted upon Black and gay individuals, as well as experiences the hyper-sexualization of Black male bodies he learns the many ways his body can be and is co-opted. The idea of corporeality becomes paramount throughout the text. Being a black gay boy is a death wish.” In the memoir, he seeks to understand how this impacted the choices he made as a young man. Dedicating enough time to reading ensures the book will sit with you long after you have finished it.Īs the title suggests, one of the main themes of “How We Fight for Our Lives” is Jones’ fight to exist: “Being black can get you killed. This is the type of book you want to sit with. Jones has the unique ability of capturing so much meaning in so few words. One line I found myself returning to again and again reads, “Just as some cultures have a hundred words for ‘snow,’ there should be a hundred words in our language for all the ways a black boy can lie awake at night.”
Instead, I took the time to allow myself to sit with the carefully crafted phrases and truly appreciate them. In fact, it is clear and accessible to people who may not be accustomed to reading poetry. This is not because Jones’ writing is difficult to understand. Multiple times while reading, I found myself pausing to read paragraphs again to allow their meaning to wash over me. His evocative and poetic writing, which has been recognized with a Pushcart Prize and the PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award for Poetry, shines through in this new form. 4 Tips to Writing a Resume that will Land You the Job Jones’ Craftĭespite the memoir’s prose form, Jones’ background in poetry is evident.
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