Since I Laid My Burden Down

"Since I Laid My Burden Down has a fearless (sometimes reckless) humor as Brontez Purnell interrogates what it means to be black, male, queer; a son, an uncle, a lover; Southern, punk, and human. An emotional tightrope walk of a book and an important American story rarely, if ever, told." --Michelle Tea, author of Black Wave

DeShawn lives a high, creative, and promiscuous life in San Francisco. But when he's called back to his cramped Alabama hometown for his uncle's funeral, he's hit by flashbacks of handsome, doomed neighbors and sweltering Sunday services. Amidst prickly reminders of his childhood, DeShawn ponders family, church, and the men in his life, prompting the question: Who deserves love?

A raw, funny, and uninhibited stumble down memory lane, Brontez Purnell's debut novel explores how one man's early sexual and artistic escapades grow into a life.


Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Amethyst Editions
Published: 06/13/2017
ISBN: 9781558614314
Pages: 208
Weight: 0.40lbs
Size: 8.00h x 4.80w x 0.50d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2017
Publishers Weekly 04/17/2017
Shelf Awareness 07/21/2017
Shelf Awareness 12/12/2017