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Release Date: May 23, 2017
ISBN: 9781627782180
eISBN: 9781627782197

Live Through This: Surviving the Intersections of Sexuality, God, and Race

by Clay Cane

This powerful book couldn’t come at a more timely juncture. With our deep misunderstanding of racial identity, the murder of transgender women increasing at an alarming rate, and the battle of faith and sexual orientation at churches across the country, we are in a cultural war of ideologies. Overwhelming prejudices have constricted our basic capacity for compassion and understanding.

Live Through This is a collection of intimate essays about one man’s journey to self-acceptance when his faith, sexuality, and race battled with societal norms. These insightful writings will plant seeds of consideration and inspire readers to stretch beyond stereotypes. By reading stories about the demographics that live on the fringe of traditions, we gain a deeper awareness of our cultural climate and how we can improve it, starting with ourselves.

 
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Reviews
 

"Rightfully cathartic, Clay Cane’s Live Through This recalls Marlon Riggs’ overture: it serves as a memorialization for those Black and Brown queer bodies that are often not seen or heard. It is a collection of many untold stories that need to be told."

- Kevin Ewing, Lambda Literary

 

"In Live Through This: Surviving the Intersections of Sexuality, God and Race, Clay Cane mines his life experiences to give the reader lessons on equality and compassion. His provocative writing sears the page with wit and irony, alternatingly raw and humorous, irreverent and powerful, but always real. Clay writes poignant stories that are heartbreaking, insightful and inspirational."

- Keith Boykin, New York Times bestselling author of Beyond the Down Low 

 

"Clay Cane pulls back the curtain of what it means to be a human—in all its complexity and beauty. While the stories are his experiences, the pain and joy belongs to all of us. Live Through This is an instant classic for exploring the intersections of the human condition."

- Malcolm Kenyatta, political commentator  

 

"There are so many American stories that remain untold. And there are just as many black experiences not yet represented and celebrated in the canon of African-American literature. Growing up black and gay, I longed for mirrors that weren't broken. I wanted to see semblances of myself. Clay Cane's offering is a response to the cultural hunger so many black gay boys and men suffer through. His work conjures queer memories. It's a welcome awakening."

- Darnell L. Moore is senior editor at Mic 

 
"Live Through This traces a fascinating arc of survival and success. Clay Cane unflinchingly tells his story through the prisms of race, sexuality, and spirituality, intertwining his personal and professional lives in the vivid, gripping details of each essay. Alternately poignant and entertaining, but always inspiring, Clay's unforgettable journey has surprises at every turn."
Christian John Wikane, PopMatters
 
 
"Live Through This is brilliant, honest, courageous, and masterfully written. Through his careful social analysis and critical self-examination, Cane offers one of the most insightful and unflinching analyses of race, gender, sexuality, and faith that we’ve seen in recent years. This book cements Clay Cane as one of the leading writers and cultural critics of his generation. More importantly, this is a book that will save someone’s life."
Marc Lamont Hill, Steve Charles Professor of Media Studies, Temple University and author of
Nobody: Casualities of America’s War on the Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond
 
"Cane leads readers through a poignant, pop music–laden exploration of his overlapping identities: the black son of a white mother, the femme son of a distant father, and a gay man in a nation fighting its antiquated views on sexuality. Cane provides a frank and emotional description of his coming-of-age.  Throughout, Cane interrogates notions of enforced masculinity—as a child, he danced in his mother’s red dress and was then forced to box by his father—and vividly depicts the performance of gender. Mainstream society’s burgeoning awareness of gender fluidity makes this book a timely study of social constructs guiding gender expression. Cane’s observations on the intersections of class and race, which do not shy away from the quagmire of being poor in America, resonate in today’s fraught political climate. Even when he addresses painful issues such as domestic violence, sexual exploitation, food insecurity, and inadequate mental health care, he retains humor and compassion. The book is an affirming and enjoyable read for those interested in African-American or LGBTQ experiences." 
- Publishers Weekly
 

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