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	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Annelie Geissler
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Biography, Literature & Literary studies

MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME

Rasheed Newson

And Other Things I Learned in New York City When I Was Young

MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME tracks the exhilarating political awakening of a young, gay, Black man in New York City during the mid-1980s. It is both an intimate coming-of-age story and an irreverent reframing of the LBGTQ+ and African American civil rights movements.

Born into a wealthy Black family in Indianapolis, Earl "Trey" Singleton III is desperate to break away from his parents. So he turns his back on a trust fund, refuses to go to college, and moves to New York City. Over the next two years, Trey gets into "good trouble" that shapes his life and history: He meets civil rights organizer Bayard Rustin in a Harlem bathhouse and becomes his mentee. Trey clashes with and outfoxes his landlord, Fred Trump. He volunteers at a renegade home hospice for AIDS patients. And after being put to the test by gay rights activist Larry Kramer and civil rights leader Dorothy Cotton, Trey becomes a founding member of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). Along the way, he learns to navigate past traumas, searches for a way to have a relationship with his birth family, and struggles to find meaning in life when he is surrounded by so much death. Part Rebecca Makkai's The Great Believers, part Brandon Taylor's Real Life, this novel is a raucous delight, beautifully reframing an oft-considered time in both NYC and queer history from a too often overlooked perspective, tackling the traumas of the era with seriousness and purpose without ever losing sight of the vibrancy and humor of a life well-lived. Rasheed Newson is a television drama writer and producer. He has worked on several shows such as The Chi, Narcos, Animal Kingdom, Shooter, and The 100, among others. Rasheed was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, and he is a graduate of Georgetown University. Currently, Rasheed lives in Pasadena, California, with his husband and their two children.

Available products
Book Published 2022-08-23 by Flatiron

Comments

MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME by Rasheed Newson was selected as a New York Times Notable Book Read more...

A them's 23 Favorite LGBTQ+ Books of 2022: My Government Means to Kill Me isn't just a page-turning Bildungsroman about a queer Black teenager. It's also a correction to the historical narrative around AIDS... My Government Means to Kill Me takes on that task with equal parts humor and heartbreak, masterfully fictionalizing real details to produce a deeply engaging but also heavily researched Bildungsroman. Ahead of the book's release, Rasheed Newson, who is also co-showrunner of Peacock's Bel-Air, spoke with Them about correcting the historical record, writing for the page versus the screen, and exploring the ways our sanctuaries can also be sordid places... Read more...

Proof that writers can revere and play with history at the same time... Newson's prose is engaging and entertaining, and he captures the dynamics of found families.

From its use of footnotes to the historical figures that appear, the Bel Air co-showrunner's historical fiction debut delivers education and fun in equal measure.

Delightful and fast-paced, a fascinating narrative of queer activism during the AIDS epidemic.

MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME shines a vivid light onto underappreciated aspects of our history. However, the book's greatest charm lies in the sensitivity and subtlety of its narrative. Trey's relationships with Gregory, Rustin and the rest of the diverse cast are authentically dynamic and nuanced. His cohort of strong-willed AIDS activists are not glorified in sepia.Trey never loses his sense of humor, and one can't help rooting for him as he matures with each chapter... This book could be taught in schools.

MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME by Rasheed Newson was selected as a Debutiful's Best Debuts: "This 1980s-set, queer, coming-of-age book will wreck you. Newson has written a book that needs to be instantly added to the Queer NYC Canon. So many times media has fumbled these stories, but Newson carefully tells the story of a young, Black, queer man in 1980s New York City without falling into tropes or relying on trauma to propel plot. This book is a reckoning." Read more...

MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME by Rasheed Newson was selected as a Queerty's Best LGBTQ Books to Read: "Writer-producer Rasheed Newson (Bel-Air, The Chi, Narcos) crafts an exhilarating and humorous portrayal of 1980s New York City as seen through the eyes of its main character, Earl "Trey" Singleton III, who leaves his wealthy Black family behind to make it on his own..." Read more...

Full of joy and righteous anger, sex and straight talk, brilliant storytelling and humor, Newson has given us the story of Trey, set against the history of 80s queer Black New York, AIDS, and the movements that changed the era. A spectacularly researched Dickensian tale, with vibrant characters and dozens of famous cameos, it is precisely the book we've needed for a long time. That - and a rollicking read! What more could you want?

Do not pick up MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME unless you have a few free hours on your hands, because you are not going to put this book down once you pick it up. It's hilarious, heartbreaking, and also sexy as all get out.

MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME returns the reader to the frightening days when AIDS was called a gay cancer, stoking the fires of homophobia. But it also recaptures the determination of those who decided they wouldn't lie down for exorbitantly priced drugs and societal ignorance. This is where Trey finds his purpose. Thanks to Newson, it's also where he finds his voice.