You Don't Know Me

Controversial, outspoken, and often explosive, the poems in this book take the reader on a journey into the often-ignored world of the gay black man. In a voice ranging from the humorous to that of brutal honesty and controlled rage, Orville Lloyd Douglas covers a variety of issues, from racism in the gay community to homophobia in the larger community, and from family discord to the sex-trade industry. Some may find a gay poetry book unnecessary. After all, a poet is a poet. And, as certain celebrities are so fond of saying these days, people shouldn't be categorized by whom they sleep with; in fact, it shouldn't be an issue at all. Yet You Don't Know Me, a wide-ranging and literally breathtaking collection of 58 black gay poems, proves that while sexual orientation may not determine a uniform identity, it does encompass a wealth of shared experience. The poems vary extensively in tone, voice, and subject.