God Themselves

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)

Jae Nichelle is a Tulane University graduate, a lover of sweet potatoes, and a storyteller on the page and the stage. She 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 her poetry has appeared in Best New Poets 2020, The Washington Square Review, The Offing Magazine, Muzzle Magazine, and elsewhere. Her spoken word poems have been featured by Write About Now, Speak Up Poetry Series, and Button Poetry. Jae writes for her younger self who never dared to dream her voice was worthy of being heard.

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