Shelter

“An extraordinary dual portrait of the author and his hometown–angry, tender, incisive, and bracingly eloquent.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review”[Shelter] is told in wide-ranging essays that touch on subjects including the joys and challenges of Black fatherhood, the overlooked history of [Jackson’s] new, mostly White neighborhood of Homeland, his connection to his childhood church, the perils of Black upward mobility, the pain of divorce, and the everyday challenges of homeownership. The book is by turns searing, informative and funny, as Jackson explores both serious issues and absurdities of his life and his city.”–Michael A. Fletcher, The Washington Post

”[A] bittersweet meditation on race and belonging… . In resonant prose, Jackson ably conveys the feuding aspirations and unease of the Black middle class… . The result is a stirring reflection on the meaning of home.”–Publishers Weekly

“There are an endless number of wonderful things to say about Lawrence Jackson’s Shelter–from luminous to breathtaking to just being outright admirable. Jackson essentially gifts his reader with two stories that are skillfully and beautifully intertwined: the work to create a great home for himself and his two sons, and a history of Baltimore, the hometown that helped create him. Along the way we are treated to so much that helps those stories come to life–from Jackson’s history with cars to the ingredients of 19th century cornbread to Johns Hopkins University’s treatment of Black people. It is all a lovely mix. Jackson has the mind of a historian, but he is also something of a poet–just note these words: ‘a person whose strength is more meringue than muscle.’ Shelter is a singular achievement.”–Edward P. Jones

“Shelter is an intriguing meditation on past and present Baltimore, as reflected through the eyes of a black native son. Lawrence Jackson, deeply ambivalent about returning after years away from his once-slaveholding hometown, is a keen observer of the complex interplay between race, time, and place. Surprisingly funny and often unsettling, Shelter is a fascinating read.”–Nathan McCall, author of Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America“Shelter is written in sharply beautiful, descriptive prose. Jackson’s love of language is woven into each sentence, alongside his understanding of the current moment as informed by the depth of all that came before.”–Kristi King, Christian Century

Lawrence Jackson is a biographer and critic whose work has appeared in Harper’s Magazine, n+1, and Best American Essays. He teaches English and history at Johns Hopkins and founded the Billie Holiday Project for Liberation Arts.