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Punch Me Up To The Gods: A Memoir
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Original price was: $17.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
Detailed description:
WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ PICK • NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, KIRKUS REVIEWS, LIBRARY JOURNAL, AMAZON AND APPLE BOOKS • A TODAY SUMMER READING LIST PICK • AN ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY BEST DEBUT OF SUMMER PICK • A PEOPLE BEST BOOK OF SUMMER PICK
A raw, poetic, coming-of-age “masterwork” (The New York Times) about Blackness, masculinity and addiction
“Punch Me Up to the Gods obliterates 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.”
—Kiese Laymon, New York Times bestselling author of Heavy
“Punch Me Up to the Gods 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 will read it; you must 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.”
—Augusten Burroughs, New York Times bestselling author of Running with Scissors
Punch Me Up to the Gods introduces 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.
Cleverly framed around Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool,” the iconic and loving ode to Black boyhood, Punch Me Up to the Gods 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.
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Categories: Best Books of 2024 So Far
Product name:
Punch Me Up To The Gods: A Memoir
Price:
Original price was: $17.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
ShaSeli –
This was a compelling read. The stories he tells about his upbringing and coming of age were a little jarring. While this is a memoir, it was told in an extremely disjointed style making it at times hard to follow.
George Ohm –
I don’t find myself reading memoirs very often but something about this author and his style really grabbed me and I read this on a bit of a whim. It turned out to be one of the most touching and poignant books I have ever read. 10/10 recommend. Gorgeous prose. Important message. Beautiful person. Love it.
Kayla –
I don’t think a book has ever moved me enough to write a review, and a month after reading the book, no less.
This book was so raw, honest, and VULNERABLE that it almost makes you feel like you know the author personally. I wish my words could do justice to his, but he’s the writer here.
All I know is that I devoured it in one day, and still go back to his Facebook page starved for more of his literary genius – that somehow manages to also remain incredibly real and down-to-earth.
It made me laugh, cry, and relate more often than not despite our wildly different life experiences.
It’s well worth grabbing a copy. I’d give it 6 stars if I could.
Cat Barker –
Captivating, vulnerable, and deep. A story without a “happy ending” that will surely move you. The author allows you to ride along side his journey through a broken system.
Sean –
A timely piece of writing! You need not be African American or LGBTQ2 to fully enjoy this fine piece of writing.
Mary Lou Kayser –
In Punch Me Up to the Gods, author Brian Broome writes bravely and honestly about the world he knew as a child, 20-something, and how his experiences shaped him into the man he is today. The snapshots he shares of his life are tender, raw, beautiful, and painful. I particularly enjoyed the way he structured the book using lines from Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem “We Real Cool.” I also liked how he took us in and out of his memories through scenes on a public bus. It’s a well-crafted book that keeps you turning the pages.
If you enjoy reading memoirs, I recommend this book. If you want to learn how to write a memoir, read this book. It’s an important contribution to the conversation about America, and it’s an important contribution to the literary canon, showcasing the power of voice to effect change while asking big questions about who we are.
Sumner Erickson –
It all just leaves me in amazement. Brian’s resilience in his life and art. Brian’s incredible transparency… displaying heroism and courage beyond measure. Brian’s examination of masculinity in general, and black masculinity in particular. Brian’s writing style of seminal creativity and originality rooted with a fantastic fantastic fantastic sense of humor! Brian’s love of his momma…! Full disclosure: Brian was very frequently my waiter at Mad Mex in Pittsburgh, and yes I was there when he danced on the bar on NYE when the clock tolled midnight. Read it please and spread the word. Thanks and love Brian! Shine on!
Unamamous –
The story was fantastic. I can’t wait to read other books he writes. This is the only book I have read of his, but it was very well written. The story itself was sad, and I pray he looks beyond the petty judgments of society and live his life to it’s fulness. Don’t give up, keep moving up and please keep writing. You absolutely remind me of Mr. James Baldwin, one of the best black writers there is.
Paul R. –
Wow, this isn’t at all what I was expecting, and I read it in under 24 hours it was that compelling. Compelling in the sense of suspense about what would happen to this human being, how he would recover from so many wounds, many of them self-inflicted. I found it to be a portrait of a life I cannot otherwise imagine, so I am glad I read the book just to see inside the life of another human with circumstances so different from my own. Certainly there is empathy for Mr. Broome, but there is a clear message in his writing that empathy is not at all what he is seeking in writing this book. It comes across to me more as a soul-cleansing and an attempt to reach others that share any or all of his life circumstances as well as simply a letter to all black men in America. I cannot say that I agree with every conclusion reached by the author, though I can see how and why he reached them and certainly the book increased my empathy for those similarly situated. I would encourage readers to balance this book out with some reading of Shelby Steele or Thomas Sowell – the contrast should be better for one’s intellect than either alone.
Kim Ratcliff –
Brian Broome manages to bring such humor, tenderness and poignancy to an often times brutal childhood and his later struggle with addiction. I love his creativity with framing his story with the bus ride, switching up the POV’s (especially his mother’s). His writing is so vivid I felt like I was RIGHT there with him on stage during the spelling bee, snorting that first line of cocaine and yes, raking in the bucks as a prostate exam guinea pig while medical students shoved their fingers up where the sun don’t shine!
I didn’t want his memoir to end. How amazing he wrote it at 60 years old and bared his most embarrassing, humiliating moments. What a story of survival. I also loved in the acknowledgments how Broome thanked his father for teaching him things even when he didn’t realize he was teaching him.