Don't call us dead : poems
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (page 85).

Smith's unflinching poetry addresses race, class, sexuality, faith, social justice, mortality, and the challenges of living HIV positive at the intersection of black and queer identity. The collection opens with a heartrending sequence that imagines an afterlife for black men shot by police, a place where suspicion, violence, and grief are forgotten and replaced with the safety, love, and longevity they deserved on earth. "Dear White America," which Smith performed at the 2014 Rustbelt Midwest Region Poetry Slam, has as strong an impact on the page as it did on the spoken word stage. Smith's courage and hope amidst the struggle for unity in America will humble and uplift you.

Publication is made possible, in part, by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant. Funding also provided by Wells Fargo Foundation, Jerome Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, Target, the McKnight Foundation, and the Amazon Literary Partnership.