{"product_id":"9780358695257","title":"Punch Me Up To The Gods","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE • WINNER OF A LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD • A \u003cem\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/em\u003e NOTABLE BOOK •\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eA \u003cem\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/em\u003eEDITORS' PICK • A STONEWALL HONOR BOOK • NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY \u003cem\u003ePUBLISHERS WEEKLY\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eKIRKUS REVIEWS\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLIBRARY JOURNAL\u003c\/em\u003e, AMAZON AND APPLE BOOKS • A \u003cem\u003eTODAY\u003c\/em\u003e SUMMER READING LIST PICK • AN \u003cem\u003eENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY\u003c\/em\u003e BEST DEBUT OF SUMMER PICK • A \u003cem\u003ePEOPLE\u003c\/em\u003e BEST BOOK OF SUMMER PICK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA raw, poetic, coming-of-age “masterwork” (\u003cem\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e) about Blackness, masculinity and addiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003ePunch Me Up to the Gods \u003c\/em\u003eobliterates what we thought were the limitations of not just the American memoir, but the possibilities of the American paragraph. I’m not sure a book has ever had me sobbing, punching the air, dying of laughter, and needing to write as much as Brian Broome’s staggering debut. This sh*t is special.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Kiese Laymon, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003ebestselling author of \u003cem\u003eHeavy\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003ePunch Me Up to the Gods\u003c\/em\u003e is some of the finest writing I have ever encountered and one of the most electrifying, powerful, simply spectacular memoirs I—or you—have ever read. And you \u003cem\u003ewill\u003c\/em\u003e read it; you \u003cem\u003emust\u003c\/em\u003e read it. It contains everything we all crave so deeply: truth, soul, brilliance, grace. It is a masterpiece of a memoir and Brian Broome should win the Pulitzer Prize for writing it. I am in absolute awe and you will be, too.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Augusten Burroughs, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003ebestselling author of \u003cem\u003eRunning with Scissors\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePunch Me Up to the Gods \u003c\/em\u003eintroduces a powerful new talent in Brian Broome, whose early years growing up in Ohio as a dark-skinned Black boy harboring crushes on other boys propel forward this gorgeous, aching, and unforgettable debut. Brian’s recounting of his experiences—in all their cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking glory—reveal a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in. Indiscriminate sex and escalating drug use help to soothe his hurt, young psyche, usually to uproarious and devastating effect. A no-nonsense mother and broken father play crucial roles in our misfit’s origin story. But it is Brian’s voice in the retelling that shows the true depth of vulnerability for young Black boys that is often quietly near to bursting at the seams.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCleverly framed around Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool,” the iconic and loving ode to Black boyhood, \u003cem\u003ePunch Me Up to the Gods\u003c\/em\u003e is at once playful, poignant, and wholly original. Broome’s writing brims with swagger and sensitivity, bringing an exquisite and fresh voice to ongoing cultural conversations about Blackness in America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brian Broome","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":44664841634085,"sku":"9780358695257","price":24.5,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0727\/7851\/4725\/products\/BNCImageAPI_63781ecd-e04e-413a-ad3f-1ce0d601f5aa.jpg?v=1678411263","url":"https:\/\/crossandcrows.myshopify.com\/products\/9780358695257","provider":"Cross \u0026 Crows Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}