The Black Period

“In this lyrical memoir, Geter, a poet, sets down a powerful vision of Black life in the United States. . . . She asks, ‘What would it look like to emerge from erasure?’ Her father’s oil paintings and charcoal drawings, scattered throughout the book, provide one response.”—The New Yorker

“Among the most evocative and intellectually dazzling memoirs of recent times.”—Suketu Mehta, author of This Land Is Our Land

“A book of extraordinary ambition, at once bracing, beautiful, and necessary—I couldn’t put it down.”—Meghan O’Rourke, author of The Invisible Kingdom

“An absolutely stunning literary experience . . . Hafizah Augustus Geter has written a classic.”—Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy

“A stellar example of the brilliance it requires to walk the tightrope of offering a full portrait of a life . . . a triumph of the form.”—Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in America

“Hafizah Augustus Geter announces herself as a storyteller, truth seeker, and pathfinder. This is a work that interrogates as it both mourns and celebrates.”—Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage

“A brilliant evocation of artistic and political restlessness . . . a record of sustaining joy.”—Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

“An affirmation of the strongest sort . . . a simple and beautiful statement of our inevitability.”—Uzodinma Iweala, author of Speak No Evil

“An essential read for all of us concerned with navigating the century ahead . . . The Black Period is a triumph.”—Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, author of The Disordered Cosmos

“An indictment, an elegy, and above all a work of brilliance.”—Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, author of The Fact of a Body

“Overflows with stories, family histories, disarming images, and arresting truths.”—Jess Row, author of White Flights

“A journey of greater breadth and depth than nearly anything else being written today.”—John Murillo, author of Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry

“In this elegiac text, a Nigerian American poet pays homage to her family while considering Black origin stories. . . . A resonant collage of memories, soulfulness, and elective, electrifying solidarity.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Geter’s expansive vision becomes much more than a self-portrait as it confronts how the human body keeps score—and survives. This poetic memoir delivers”—Publishers Weekly