Bookshelf
CROSSFIRE: A LITANY FOR SURVIVVAL
WINNER OF THE AMERICAN BOOK AWARD
Powerhouse, world-renowned LGBTQ poet and spoken-word artist Staceyann Chin curates the first full-length collection of her poems.
Crossfire collects Staceyann Chin's empowering, feminist-LGBTQ-Caribbean, activist-driven poetry for the first time in a single book.
According to The New York Times, Chin is "sassy, rageful and sometimes softly self-mocking." The Advocate says that her poems, "combine hilarious one-liners with a refusal to conform" and note "Chin is out to confront more than just the straight world."
THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE
No one knew Staceyann's mother was pregnant until a dangerously small baby was born on the floor of her grandmother's house in Lottery, Jamaica on Christmas Day. Staceyann's mother did not want her and her father was not present--no one, except her grandmother, thought Staceyann would survive.
It was her grandmother who nurtured and protected and provided for Staceyann and her older brother in the early years. But when the three were separated, Staceyann was thrust, alone, into an unfamiliar and dysfunctional home in Paradise, Jamaica. There, she faced far greater troubles than absent parents. So, armed with a fierce determination and exceptional intelligence, she discovered a way to break out of this harshly unforgiving world.
Staceyann Chin, acclaimed and iconic performance artist, now brings her extraordinary talents to the page in a brave, lyrical, and fiercely candid memoir about growing up in Jamaica. She plumbs tender and unsettling memories as she writes about drifting from one home to the next, coming out as a lesbian, and finding the man she believes to be her father and ultimately her voice. Hers is an unforgettable story told with grace, humor, and courage.
Motherstruck Audiobook
Meet. Love. Break. Recover. That’s been the routine of Staceyann Chin’s romantic life. But at 35, after yet another devastating breakup and overcome by an urgent and all-consuming desire to have a child, Chin realizes she’s running out of time. So she sets her sights on a single target: motherhood.
There’s just one problem. As a single black lesbian whose career as a poet and political activist has landed her on Oprah and in The New York Times but left her flat broke and without health insurance, Chin’s options are limited. Meanwhile, the Jamaican-Chinese Brooklyn resident can “feel the eggs drying up inside my aging ovaries”.
MotherStruck! is Staceyann Chin’s heartbreaking and hilarious true account of her years-long battle to become a parent. Helped on her quest by Peter, a gay man she marries to start an “army of children” and C.J., her supremely supportive brother-in-law, Chin chronicles her struggles to navigate America’s broken health-care system, multiple threats of a miscarriage, and weeks of doctored-ordered bed rest while desperately needing to earn a living.
Featuring an original score by Grammy-nominated songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello, MotherStruck! is a triumphant story about the true meaning of parenthood, the many forms that family can take, and discovering what really matters in life and love..
The Other Side of Paradise Audiobook
No one knew Staceyann's mother was pregnant until a dangerously small baby was born on the floor of her grandmother's house in Jamaica, on Christmas Day. Staceyann's mother did not want her, and her father was not present. No one, except her grandmother, thought Staceyann would survive. It was her grandmother who nurtured and protected and provided for Staceyann and her older brother in the early years. But when the three were separated, Staceyann was thrust, alone, into an unfamiliar and dysfunctional home in Paradise, Jamaica.
Told with grace, humor, and courage, Chin plumbs tender and unsettling memories as she writes about drifting from one home to the next, coming out as a lesbian, finding the man she believes to be her father, and ultimately, discovering her voice.
Crossfire: A litany of desire Audiobook
Crossfire collects Staceyann Chin's empowering, feminist-LGBTQ-Caribbean, activist-driven poetry for the first time in a single work.
According to The New York Times, Chin is “sassy, rageful and sometimes softly self-mocking”. The Advocate says that her poems “combine hilarious one-liners with a refusal to conform”, and note “Chin is out to confront more than just the straight world”.