Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Memoirs

HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES

Saeed Jones

A haunting coming-of-age memoir from award-winning poet Saeed Jones.

Jones's memoir 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 mother and grandmother, 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.

Blending poetry and prose, Jones has developed a style that is equal parts sensual, beautiful, and powerful. At age 33, Jones is one of the most acclaimed poets of his generation, winner of the PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award for Poetry, the Stonewall Book Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and multiple Pushcart Prizes. He has been featured on PBS NewsHour's poetry series and Janet Mock's show on MSNBC. His poetry has received glowing coverage from NPR, Time, and numerous other publications. Jones is a co-host of BuzzFeed's morning show, AM to DM, and previously served as BuzzFeed's LGBT editor and Culture editor.

Available products
Book Published 2019-10-08 by Simon & Schuster
Book Published 2019-10-08 by Simon & Schuster

Comments

Extremely personal, emotionally gritty, and unabashedly honest, How We Fight for Our Lives is an outstanding memoir that somehow manages a perfect balance between love and violence, hope and hostility, transformation and resentment... This is a touching, heartfelt memoir that isn't afraid to delve deep into the darkest corners of familial drama and violent, racially charged sexual encounters... Jones writes with the confidence of a veteran novelist and the flare of an accomplished poet. In every event there is truth, which he chronicles and shares, but there is also the possibility of a beautiful phrase, and he always delivers... How We Fight for Our Lives is about tenacity and strength. It is the story of a man who lost a mother who was a force of nature and whom readers will grow to love and respect. This is an important coming-of-age story that's also a collection of tiny but significant joys. More importantly, it's a narrative that cements Jones as a new literary star - and a book that will give many an injection of hope.

Jones is brutally examining the intersection of race and sexuality. His language is a fiery combination of his poetic roots and prose, pouring every ounce of his energy into his sentences. His voice is incredibly loud in the most intoxicating way.

A distinctly singular read... Almost every passage feels like a fresh, raw wound, ready to leave a scar. Read more...

Urgent, immediate, matter of fact.. The prose in Saeed Jones's memoir How We Fight for Our Lives shines with a poet's desire to give intellections the force of sense impressions.

A luminous, clear-eyed excavation of how we learn to define ourselves, "How We Fight for Our Lives" is both a coming-of-age story and a rumination on love and loss... a radiant memoir that meditates on the many ways we belong to each other and the many ways we are released.

Jones (Prelude to Bruise) explores sexual identity, race, and the bond between a mother and child in a powerful memoir filled with devastating moments... Jones is a remarkable, unflinching storyteller, and his book is a rewarding page-turner. Read more...

#26 in African-American & Black Biographies #159 in Memoirs (Books) #3 in LGBT Biographies (Books) (Oct 5, 2019)

It's short, gorgeous, and eminently readable, and you'll be left spellbound and wanting more from this talented writer.

Here are the "Best of the Year" mentions we've gotten for the book: New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2019 Time Magazine 100 Must-Read Books of 2019 Elle Magazine 28 Best Books of 2019 Bookpage Best Books of 2019 NPR Favorite Books of 2019 Katy Waldman's Best Books of 2019 for The New Yorker Maureen Corrigan's Best Books of 2019 for NPR/Fresh Air Washington Post 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction in 2019 Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2019 Nonfiction Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2019 Nonfiction Buzzfeed Best Books to Read Over Thanksgiving Goodreads Finalist for Best Memoir & Autobiography 2019 Library Journal Best Biography & Memoir of 2019 Harper's Bazaar Best LGBTQ Books of 2019 O Magazine Best LGBTQ Books of 2019

Jones' unabashed honesty and gift for self-aware humor will resonate with readers, especially those in search of a story that resembles their own.

[A] devastating memoir... Jones is fascinated by power (who has it, how and why we deploy it), but he seems equally interested in tenderness and frailty. We wound and save one another, we try our best, we leave too much unsaid... A moving, bracingly honest memoir that reads like fevered poetry.

How We Fight for Our Lives is a primer in how to keep kicking, in how to stay afloat... Thank god we get to be part of that world with Saeed Jones' writing in it.

In this powerful and emotional memoir, Saeed Jones recounts growing up as a young black gay man from the American south. As an award-winning poet, Jones brings a particular poignancy to his prose that makes this even more heart-rending.

I was spellbound by the absolute beauty of the writing in this book as the author illuminates the turning points in his relationships with his family, society and himself.

Jones is a peerless voice who manages to make you gasp with sorrow, smile from recognition and marvel at his talent all in the same paragraph. Jones tells, with stunning results, his American story of growing up gay in the South as he "fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country." As fellow author Jacqueline Woodson put it, "Every single living half-grown and grown-up body needs to read this book."

A raw, real coming-of-age story that blends poetry and powerful prose.

There are moments of devastating ugliness and moments of ecstatic joy...infused with an emotional energy that only authenticity can provide.

a radiant coming-of-age saga... To read Jones is to be swept into a powerful journey that illuminates race and class relations in America today, and this memoir ensures he'll be an author to watch for decades to come.

How We Fight for Our Lives is a lyrically beautiful work, deeply personal and honest in its storytelling. Jones does a remarkable job of drawing the reader in and showing us what it means to fight for one's life.

The former BuzzFeed News editor has serious chops when it comes to writing those gut-punch sentences, the ones that show up unexpectedly and wash you with so much awe, so much emotion, that you're left thinking, what the hell Saeed?....Read this if you want to get lost in an all too short, gorgeous flame of a memoir that will make you think about your own family.

A coming-of-age memoir marks the emergence of a major literary voice...written with masterful control of both style and material. Read more...

Jones' evocative prose has a layered effect, immersing readers in his state of mind, where gorgeous turns of phrase create some distance from his more painful memories. Although its length is short (just 189 pages), How We Fight For Our Lives fairly pulses with pain and potency; there is enough turmoil and poetry and determination in it to fill whole bookshelves.

Jones's voice and sensibility are so distinct that he turns one of the oldest of literary genres inside out and upside down.

Unquestionably one of the best debuts in the past few years.

Jones' voice and sensibility are so distinct that he turns one of the oldest of literary genres inside out and upside down. ... How We Fight for Our Lives is at once explicitly raunchy, mean, nuanced, loving and melancholy. It's sometimes hard to read and harder to put down. ...How We Fight for Our Lives is a raw and eloquent memoir. Read more...

An unforgettable memoir that pulls you in and doesn't let go until the very last page.

Phenomenal... In this profound, concise memoir, the 33-year-old writer isolates key moments from his youth and sharpens their points for maximum effect. We follow a young, searching Jones through his early years with his loving single mother, along a path of unrequited lust, furtive sexual experiences, and disapproving relatives, through his hard-won self-acceptance and into the grief of losing the person closest to him.

This memoir by a talented poet about growing up black and gay tackles sexual violence, bigotry and shame with searing imagery and an unusual generosity of spirit: As a memoirist, Jones isn't interested in score-settling.