{"product_id":"kiss-the-scars-on-the-back-of-my-neck-stories-paperback","title":"Kiss the Scars on the Back of My Neck: Stories - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJoe Okonkwo\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndependent Publishers Awards (IPPY) Silver Medalist in LGBT+ Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe eclectic stories in this collection are bound by the threads of desire in its many forms, above all, the desire for love and a place of safety in a world where being Black and gay can thwart the fulfillment of that longing. The characters are complex, driven, difficult, and even, at times, unsympathetic, but always compelling. In other words: fully rounded human beings living complicated lives. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA proud Black woman who escaped her rural, impoverished town returns after the collapse of her marriage and faces the scorn of those she left behind. A middle-aged gay man finds his loneliness temporarily relieved by the arrival of a stray cat. An unhappily married woman becomes enmeshed in her bisexual husband's attempt to create a \u003cem\u003eménage à trois\u003c\/em\u003e with a much younger man. A 16-year-old boy discovers the power of his sexuality when he embarks upon a dangerous seduction. Two Black men, one mature and rich, the other young and struggling, are drawn into a contentious affair by their shared love of opera. The legendary blues singer Glady Bentley crashes up against the barriers of race and gender when she gets caught up in a police raid. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eKiss the Scars on the Back of My Neck\u003c\/em\u003e is a masterful collection of stories by a gifted writer who has fully hit his stride.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eJoe Okonkwo is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, and editor. His debut novel \u003ci\u003eJazz Moon\u003c\/i\u003e won the Publishing Triangle's prestigious 2016 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Fiction. A cum laude graduate of the University of Houston with a B.A. in theater, Joe made his living for a number of years as an actor, stage manager, director, playwright, and youth theater instructor. He also holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from City College of New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 220\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 8.4 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 10, 2021\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42162683740295,"sku":"9781612942032","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/58d61dc8780c0035b3563d8b10520a43.webp?v=1733291406","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/kiss-the-scars-on-the-back-of-my-neck-stories-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}