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A review by whatcourtneyreads
Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome
5.0
Punch Me Up to the Gods is not a memoir for the sake of writing a memoir, where an author writes 250 pages about their life from start to finish in an act of self-indulgence. Rather, Broome has something really profound to say about the intersections of racism in America, Black masculinity, and sexuality.
Broome takes the reader to some dark places, dwelling long enough that we feel uncomfortable, but there is always a point; a lesson to be learned, rather than simply being a story of a life of trauma. As a white person I feel like there’s always opportunity for learning, and I had a lot of moments of reflection on how sometimes without meaning to, we can become complicit just by saying or doing nothing, usually because we don’t *know* what to say or do.
As well as the power of Broome’s message, he is an exceptional writer. I understand that this book has won several awards, and I’m honestly not surprised. His words are like poetry, and at times I almost forgot that what I was reading was non-fiction. I found myself hoping by the end that one day he will write fiction, as his beautiful prose would serve it well.
I’m yet to read anything but glowing reviews for this book, and here’s another one to add to the pile!
Broome takes the reader to some dark places, dwelling long enough that we feel uncomfortable, but there is always a point; a lesson to be learned, rather than simply being a story of a life of trauma. As a white person I feel like there’s always opportunity for learning, and I had a lot of moments of reflection on how sometimes without meaning to, we can become complicit just by saying or doing nothing, usually because we don’t *know* what to say or do.
As well as the power of Broome’s message, he is an exceptional writer. I understand that this book has won several awards, and I’m honestly not surprised. His words are like poetry, and at times I almost forgot that what I was reading was non-fiction. I found myself hoping by the end that one day he will write fiction, as his beautiful prose would serve it well.
I’m yet to read anything but glowing reviews for this book, and here’s another one to add to the pile!