Poet writer and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. makes his debut with a powerful YA memoir in
verse tracing his journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty racism and
homophobia to becoming an openly gay first-generation college student who finds freedom in
poetry. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo George M. Johnson and Jacqueline Woodson.Tony
dreams about life after high school where his poetic voice can find freedom on the stage and
page. But the Boogeyman has been following Tony since he was six years old. First the
Boogeyman was after his Blackness but Tony has learned It knows more than that: Tony wants to
be the first in his family to attend college but there's no path to follow. He also has
feelings for boys desires that don't align with the script he thinks is set for him and his
girlfriend Blu. Despite a supportive network of family and friends Tony doesn't breathe a
word to anyone about his feelings. As he grapples with his sexuality and moves from high school
to college he struggles with loneliness while finding solace in gay chat rooms and writing
poetry. But how do you find your poetic voice when you are hiding the most important parts of
yourself? And how do you escape the Boogeyman when it's lurking inside you?
