Let this book be a celebration of queerness, Blackness, and love. Let these words be a modern church, these poems a holy space.
Rising star and spoken word poet Jae Nichelle debuts her luminous thoughts in God Themselves, a new collection of stirring poetry. Nichelle taps into her experiences of growing up in the South as a queer Black woman to courageously confront the effects of a forced religion and the inherent dangers of living life in a female body. God Themselves is divided into three equally moving sections: Everything, Everywhere, and Love. Nichelle braids her wisdom––as seen in the poem “What to Do When There’s Nothing You Can Do”––and witty generational humor––seen in "Sanctity: An Exposé"––into every poem. If you’ve ever contemplated who, what, and where God is, find comfort in these words.
Jae Nichelle is the author of the poetry chapbook The Porch (As Sanctuary); the inaugural poetry winner of the John Lewis Writing Award from the Georgia Writers Association, and one of few people from Lafayette, Louisiana who has never met the singer Cupid. A slam poetry champion, her spoken word has been featured by Write About Now, Speak Up Poetry Series, and Button Poetry.
Fans of fresh, accessible poetry in the lineage of Staceyann Chin and
Black Girl, Call Home will love spoken word poet Nichelle’s newest collection. It’s a loud, exuberant celebration of Black womanhood, queer love, and lives stitched into wholeness despite legacies of violence, trauma, and religious anti-gay bias. Wise, tender, and funny, these conversational poems create a joyful, holy space for anyone who has felt othered and alienated by traditional religious practices. (Laura Sackton, Buzzfeed News)
“Nichelle’s experience of growing up in the South as a queer Black woman is relayed to luminous effect in this collection, which dives deep into the effects of religious trauma and suggests a less-fraught, more individual relationship with the divine.” (Emma Specter, Vogue)
