Reginald Harris is the author of 10 Tongues (Three Conditions Press, 2002), and co-complier of Carry The Word: A Bibliography of Black LGBTQ Books(Vintage Entity Press, 2007). A finalist for a Lambda Literary Award and the ForeWord Book of the Year, he has received Individual Artist Awards for both poetry and fiction from the Maryland State Arts Council. […]
Silence. Take all secrets to the grave – or beyond. How to tie a shoe, wear a smile, a mask. How to say Can’t or No. How to make a fist, a joke, a baby. Hold back tears. When to leave. Come home sullen, exhausted, short-tempered. Eat. Watch TV. Say nothing. Fall asleep. Repeat the […]
Lock the working week away. Practice perfect placement of a cigarette, a glass – when to get loud when to perform Prepare each perfect line. Buff your nails to a high sheen. Prepare your fingers for their late-night snaps, your head for tossing, ass for switching, turning, twitching, following the rhythm down whatever street the […]
Apostolic Beat-down Chicken box Down-low E-dealer Five-O car Gospel Hip-Hop Ice cream jones Kenya, Kendra, Keyshawn, Ko-Ko Ko-rean’s Laun-dro-mat Methadone nod-out Noontime Old school Pre-school Quit school Queen Ray’s Quick Mart 4-real hair Shock Trauma SUV Wheelchair wigger Whiteboy wannabes “XXL’s right here Ya’ll” !Zoom!
They want me for my body and my name – the guy who busted Ali’s jaw, in his first film! – Just to sell some tickets. Just like boxing, just as fixed. I’m no actor, not the star. They named the movie after my guy, but didn’t give me much to say. The old slave […]
(Magic City, Magic City, ya’ll Got that Magic City, Magic City, ya’ll) How the road leans To where I’m from —Approaching New York by Michael Beyer …the imploded high-rise, empty houses rows of busted teeth in a crooked smile. Trash-filled corner lots. Ghetto Chinese, Yat Gaw Mein with ketchup, with or without egg. Six wings […]
Reginald Harris, author of 10 Tongues, talks about form.
Reginald Harris, author of 10 Tongues, talks about a project he’s currently working on.