MARCH 2024 - AudioFile
Hip-hop artist Tony Keith, Jr., narrates his free-verse coming-of-age memoir. His pacing and tone allow listeners to feel the power of his words and imagine his world. His skill as a narrator is evident as he delivers lyrical imagery mixed with dialect. Sound effects illuminate the poems' themes: Drums aid listeners in picturing the richness of African imagery in one poem; in another listeners hear the murmurs of a cafeteria. The growl of the Boogeyman occurs each time the figure appears, the personification of Keith's doubts and fears about money, intelligence, performance, racism, and being gay. As Keith discovers self-expression, the Boogeyman shows he's been tamed into a poet. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"In this debut, Keith has penned not just a memoir, but also a blazing proclamation of existence for any child that feels like a mere figment of the world’s imagination. Yes, readers will complete this experience believing they have more skin on their bones, more air in their lungs, and hearts beating new rhythms, in new meters, all their own. What a life-affirming masterpiece." — Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Daring. Bold. Liberating. A recanting of a story that took a world of courage to live, becoming crystallized in all its Black boy glory now that we get to behold it. Tony Keith’s How the Boogeyman Became A Poet is a coming of age story so many of us have searched for and are lucky to find." — Candice Iloh, author of Every Body Looking, a National Book Award finalist
“Searing honesty and deft wordplay create a vivid impression of this enormously talented and multifaceted writer and performer. Teens will relate to Keith's story and celebrate his conquering of the Boogeyman: his own doubts and fears.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Keith offers a vulnerability within these pages that’s reminiscent of George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue (2020) and Candice Iloh’s Every Body Looking (2020) and will especially speak to young people who are dealing with similar educational, familial, and interpersonal pressures. An emotionally honest and self-reflective debut.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Candid, sweet and written in paragraphs constantly melting into stanzas, Boogeyman is a vibrant story about a boy coming out and discovering his voice. High school kids: Get a copy before it’s banned.” — Ron Charles, Washington Post Book Club
“Keith’s love of poetry and language—and the power of wielding both—radiates from the pages. . . . Teens will find solace in his survival and flourishing as well as obtaining a glimpse of a fascinating time gone by.” — BookPage
