In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue explores their childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia.
A New York Times Bestseller!
Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, and MSNBC feature stories
From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults. (Johnson used he/him pronouns at the time of publication.)
Velshi Banned Book Club
Indie Bestseller
Teen Vogue Recommended Read
Buzzfeed Recommended Read
People Magazine Best Book of the Summer
A New York Library Best Book of 2020
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2020 ... and more!
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All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue explores their childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia.
A New York Times Bestseller!
Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, and MSNBC feature stories
From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults. (Johnson used he/him pronouns at the time of publication.)
Velshi Banned Book Club
Indie Bestseller
Teen Vogue Recommended Read
Buzzfeed Recommended Read
People Magazine Best Book of the Summer
A New York Library Best Book of 2020
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2020 ... and more!
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue explores their childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia.
A New York Times Bestseller!
Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, and MSNBC feature stories
From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults. (Johnson used he/him pronouns at the time of publication.)
Velshi Banned Book Club
Indie Bestseller
Teen Vogue Recommended Read
Buzzfeed Recommended Read
People Magazine Best Book of the Summer
A New York Library Best Book of 2020
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2020 ... and more!
GEORGE M. JOHNSON is a writer and activist based in New York. They have written on race, gender, sex, and culture for Essence, the Advocate, BuzzFeed News, Teen Vogue, and more than forty other national publications. George has appeared on BuzzFeed’s AM2DM as well as on MSNBC. All Boys Aren’t Blue is their debut, an Indie Bestseller, and a People Magazine Best Book of the Year. The New York Times called it "an exuberant, unapologetic memoir infused with a deep but cleareyed love for its subjects." At the time of publication, George used he/him pronouns.
Table of Contents
Author's Note vii
Introduction: Black. Queer. Here 1
Act 1 A Different Kid
Chapter 1 Smile 19
Chapter 2 Identity 36
Chapter 3 "Honeychild" 52
Chapter 4 Fags Play Football, Too 65
Chapter 5 "Honest Abe" Lied to Me 81
Chapter 6 You Can't Swim in Cowboy Boots 105
Act 2 Family
Dear Little Brother 123
Chapter 7 Nanny: The Caregiver, the Hustler, My Best Friend 128
Chapter 8 Daddy's Second Chance 144
Chapter 9 Losing Hope 160
Dear Mommy 177
Chapter 10 A Lesson Before Dying 182
Act 3 Teenagers
Chapter 11 Boys Will Be Boys … 197
Chapter 12 The Prom Kings We Never Were 213
Chapter 13 Setting Myself Free or Setting Myself Up? 224
The best way to understand and truly empathize with the experience of others is to hear about it directly from the source. A memoir and manifesto rolled into one, All Boys Aren’t Blue provides an unapologetic and captivating look at the author’s childhood, adolescence, and college years. Covering a wide range of topics from toxic masculinity and bullying to Black queer joy, George M. Johnson provides profound insights with heartfelt personal essays. George M. Johnson is also the Honorary Chair of 2022’s Banned Books Week, so keep reading to hear how banning books affects us and the challenges it causes for both the readers and the authors of books.
Banned and challenged books have made us question the ways of the world — and sparked heated debates for as long as any of us can remember. Banned Books Week runs from 9/18 – 9/24, and the titles on this year’s list include the top 10 most challenged books of 2021 — some you know and, if not, maybe this is the year you read them. Want more […]