Tony Keith Jr. – Knucklehead

Join us for a reading with Tony Keith Jr., author of Knucklehead. This in-person event will be cosponsored by Flux Poetry and Spoken Word and will be free and open to the public. We recommend arriving early for the best seating.

About the Book: While society often assigns the label "knucklehead" to kids with attitude problems, this brilliant and electric poetry collection by spoken word poet and Hip-Hop educator Tony Keith Jr. subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people who are misunderstood and unheard.

There are poems about the power of language to transcend the racist and homophobic constructs of a society prejudging Black boys. There are poems that serve as a salve for a world that inflicts hurt, poems that offer a beacon of hope for the curious and questioning, and poems that transform the way people love Black gay boys and men.

This is a journey of self-discovery through history, family, friendship, and falling in love. Knucklehead is a breathtaking work, full of black-and-white illustrations and unforgettable poetry that will heal, provoke, and inspire.

About the Author: Tony Keith Jr. is an award-winning Black American gay poet, spoken word artist, and Hip-Hop educational leader. He is the author of How the Boogeyman Became a Poet and Knucklehead. A multi-year fellow of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Tony has featured performances at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Washington National Cathedral, and in schools and communities around the world. Tony is coauthor of the award-winning book Open Mic Night: Campus Programs that Champion College Student Voice and Engagement, and his academic work appears in several respected journal publications. He holds a PhD in education leadership from George Mason University. Currently, Tony serves as founder and CEO of Ed Emcee Academy, is on the board of Directors at Shout Mouse Press, and teaches English language arts for adult learners in his Washington, DC, hometown, where he resides with his husband, Harry Christian III.