Description:

Stephen Earley Jordan II's "Beyond Bougie" transcends race with dynamic creative nonfiction, essays and poetry. Many selections challenge modern perceptions of race, class, and gender, such as ". . . On Male Self-Image," an essay revealing eating disorders and narcissism as male disorders, and "How it Feels to be a Vanderbilt," a brief account of material slavery to name brand clothing. Other selections, such as "Why (K)not?" and "Bukkake: A Love Story," capture the macabre vulnerability rooted in all humans through true tales of extreme dominance, subservience and betrayal. In "Let's Keep This on the Downlow," Jordan explores the preconceived theory that the phenomenon of gay males being married to women is not just a Black issue, but is portrayed as such by the media in order to effeminize the Black male because society is intimidated by him. "Beyond Bougie" is a call to action, requesting that none of us ever accept less than our full potential.