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 inGod 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 Themselvesis 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 Expos”–into every poem. If you’ve ever contemplated who, what, and where God is, find comfort in these words.

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 chapbookThe Porch (As Sanctuary), the inaugural poetry winner of the John Lewis Writing Award from the Georgia Writers Association, and her poetry has appeared inBest New Poets 2020,The Washington Square Review,The Offing Magazine,Muzzle Magazine, and elsewhere. Her spoken word poems have been featured byWrite About Now,Speak Up PoetrySeries, andButton Poetry. Jae writes for her younger self who never dared to dream her voice was worthy of being heard.

• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (March 14, 2023)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 128 pages
• ISBN-10: 1524878405
• ISBN-13: 9781524878405
• Item Weight: 3.77 ounces
• Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.5 x 7.2 inches