At first I thought “oh lorrrrd another book about straight Black New York braggarts and bravado”, but I re-learned to never judge a book…

Jamel Brinkley presents nine stories about surprisingly unassuming Black men and boys, each trying to navigate his way through life’s ambiguities. Maybe the author was riffing on questions from various elements and eras of his own life. Super well written, an absorbing read.

(I’m still kinda tired of NY stories though.)