How the Boogeyman Became a Poet (2024)

All Boys Aren’t Blue meets The Black Flamingo in this YA memoir written in verse about a boy who l has to deal with being Black and gay.

I love books written in verse, especially YAs. Their cadence and rhythm calm me; the stories are often intense and beautiful, and at the same time, they’re quickly readable.

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet immediately drew me in. Tony’s anxiety and struggles instantly flooded the pages, and my gut already churned in the first chapters. His story is intertwined with beautiful poems he wrote as a teen. It shows how the cheerful but also anxious boy found a way out in his poetry while having a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend. Found a way to let his words speak in his desire to get into college. It’s a shame the memoir isn’t on anyone’s radar yet. This story is so powerful and lyrical, and I hope many people will pick it up!

I just wish this book had a more striking cover so people would immediately grab a copy.

Thank you, HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley, for this ARC!

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A moving and beautifully written memoir in verse, How the Boogeyman Became a Poet is about the childhood, adolescence, and college years of the author as a closeted gay, Black boy from the American South. It's a powerful coming of age narrative, navigating hom*ophobia and fear of being yourself, religion, having a girlfriend, being the first in your family to attend college, and finding yourself and your voice in poetry. Anyone could read this but high school teachers and librarians should have this one on their radar. The audio is read by the author and is well worth listening to. I received a copy of this audiobook from Libro.FM, all opinions are my own.

The audiobook is a must!!

"How the Boogeyman Became a Poet" by Tony Keith, Jr. is a poignant, memoir in verse that will capture your heart forever. Tony's poetry has sharp edges and cuts you deeply at times but it also scoops you up in a big hug and leads you towards the light of hope. Keith makes you take a long look at the ways that queer Black youth are made to feel unsafe and forced to role play their lives in order to make others comfortable and not want to hurt them.

I loved the format of this novel. It included photos, poems and pages from Keith's notebook. This mixed media form was a perfect way to show how Keith navigated life as an anxious, queer Black boy trying to figure out his own sexual identity and make place for himself in a world that is hostile and violent towards Black people. I loved that the poems gave you a personal glimpse into Keith's thoughts and you are given the opportunity to question what he questions about society.

Reflecting on this one, I am left pondering about:
▪︎the ways that straight performance pervades every aspect of society
▪︎ the ways that queer kids have to hide within themselves and battle their own inner voices of shame because of not having safe spaces to be themselves
▪︎ the ways that poetry can speak what is in the heart and be used to break down systems of oppression
▪︎ the importance of community and acceptance for queer kids
▪︎ the ways that people pleasing create anxieties and heighten fear about showing up authentically and in the fullness of ones identity
▪︎ the ways that self-talk is important when you're learning to take leaps of faith in yourself and get over the imposter syndrome
▪︎ the"coming out" journey as a complex process that is further complicated by racism, hom*ophobia, violence, social stigma & toxic masculinity
▪︎ how HBCU's can foster self esteem and become a safe space for self exploration
▪︎ how language and the arts can create freedom
▪︎ the importance of safe adults to development of self-worth and identity

If you loved The Black Flamingo, When We Make It, The Poet X and All Boys Aren't Blue, then run and go grab this one immediately. There are so many beautiful lines.Thanks to @epicreads for the gifted ARC.

A beautiful biography in verse about a young black man learning about himself and what makes his experience as a black closeted man unique. I loved that the author read this; it really added to the experience.

**I do not rate memoirs.

HOW THE BOOGEYMAN BECAME A POET
𝚃𝚘𝚗𝚢 𝙺𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙹𝚛
February 6, 2024

💾𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜:
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 hom*ophobia 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.

💽𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝:
Tony Keith’s genre bending memoir was masterful. This YA memoir, covers his childhood but spends the most time covering his last year of high school and freshman year in college, 1999-2000. It is written in verse and is interjected with poems side-by-side with images of the poems from the author’s original, lined, three-hole notepaper, scratch outs and all, such an authentic aesthetic. The new chapter pages each have that copy machine black corner too… I’m obsessed with it for some reason. Along with the poems we also get AIM chat messages. I could hear the noise while I was reading.
Even though we live in invariably different lives- reading this reassured me that others feel the way I do. That’s why I love reading memoirs. They continue to teach me not just more about others and the world but more about myself.

📝𝚁𝙸𝚈𝙻
All Boys Aren’t Blue meets Poet X
Epistolary novels
Music references
Turn of the century (haha)

FTC Disclosure: Thank you to @epicreads @tonykeithjr @storygramtours for my #gifted review copy.
All thoughts are my own.

Tony Keith is one hell of a poet, but I'll admit, I was struggling early on in this book. I was thinking that maybe his style of poetry wasn't for me, but then, strictly for convenience's sake, I decided to switch to the audiobook version and holy hell did that make a difference. Hearing the poems read out loud (as I personally think poems are meant to be—but poetry's not my strong suit, so don't @ me if that's a bad take), by the author himself, was such a beautiful experience. The audiobook also includes other sound effects, like a thumping heartbeat, a screeching microphone at an open mic night, and raspy/threatening growling in the background when the titular Boogeyman (a stand-in for the parts of Keith that, while he himself is not ashamed of, the world desires that he be ashamed of) is mentioned, that made for an incredibly rich listening experience. I'm someone who needs something in my ears while I do menial tasks (today it was spring cleaning my apartment), and not once did my focus slip from my tasks/this audiobook, so riveted was I by the elegance of Keith's writing. Definitely someone I plan to look up and see more work from.

A YA memoir novel in verse perfect for national poetry month.
👦🏾
Tony Keith Jr. has had the Boogeyman chasing him all his life. First it was after his Blackness then his queerness. Tony wants to be the first to attend college in his family and really loves spending time with his girlfriend, Blu, even though he has feelings for boys. This struggle leads Tony into his young adulthood where he deals with it quietly, despite having a strong support system. How can Tony accept and love himself when he’s hiding so much of it?
👦🏾
This was a powerful story, one that I had to read after @ambsmcbride recommended it at #txla24 last week. @tonykeithjr was able to be vulnerable and dynamic in his writing of this autobiography Fans of The Black Flamingo will really connect with this one as well. Thanks @librofm for the ALC. Tony does a fantastic job narrating it!

CW: hom*ophobia, racism, police brutality, religious bigotry, bullying, death, grief, abandonment, alcoholism

The author explores his childhood and "the boogeyman" that followed him throughout his life, whether it was his Blackness, his economic status, his queerness. I really enjoyed his reflections on spirituality and his relationship with religion as he grows up and comes to terms with his identity.

This feels like it would be a nice companion piece to All Boys Aren’t Blue - another YA memoir exploring growing up Black and queer. I really enjoyed this format and the audiobook was wonderful.

I only wish there had been a little more? Maybe an extended epilogue. I feel like we were left hanging with the "what happens after". I wanted to know more about the author's relationships with his family. Did he come out? How did he navigate that?

In February 2020, Tony Keith Jr. accompanied his friend, author Jason Reynolds, to an event at the University of South Carolina and gave the audience an electric Spoken Word performance. I was fortunate to be in that audience.

In February 2024, Tony Keith Jr.’s debut book, How the Boogeyman Became a Poet, was released. I read it this month for National Poetry Month and was blown away – much like I was seeing him perform his poetry four years ago at USC. How the Boogeyman Became a Poet is a memoir in verse, detailing Tony’s senior year of high school and first few semesters of college at the turn of the millennium. It is a moving narrative of Tony coming to terms with his identity as a Black, first-generation college student and the feelings he has for boys. It is beautifully written and shows how, through the empowerment of poetry, Tony comes to openly embrace the truest parts of himself. Tony also sprinkled images of the handwritten drafts of a few of his poems throughout the book, and I thought that made it even more special.

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet is a 2024 fave for sure! I loved it so much.

*3.5

This would be a great read for teens trying to come to terms with their sexuality. The main character is a closeted Black poet. His poetry is sometimes excellent and sometimes decent. His journey is probably commonly experienced and begs us all to do a better job at just being good human beings who are kind and accepting.

Gives Poet X vibes. Autobiographical poetry about the journey from high school to collage and accepting all aspects of self. As with any book like this, listening is the way to go since the author is the reader and therefore you get the true reading. For real for real.

I will admit that I’m a huge fiction girly and very rarely read memoirs. However, the title and the book cover caught my eye at NCTE and I took a look. I love books in verse and when I saw this was a memoir in verse by a spoken word poet I was even more interested. I flipped through the pages, read a few of the poems and I was all in. I grabbed a copy and looked forward to reading this memoir when I had some time. I was not disappointed.

“How the Boogeyman Became a Poet” reflects on Tony Keith’s senior year of high school and his first year of college as he struggles to figure out who he is. It is during this time that Tony is struggling with what he would like for his future and struggling with his sexuality. He opens his memoir with giving a bit of background about his childhood before diving deep into the numerous insecurities young teens may have as they face their last year of high school where the constant talk is about “which college are you going to go to”. Teenage Tony is struggling with the last few months of school as he doesn’t think he has the grades to go to college but knows everyone around him expects him to. He also feels that he is continuing to live his life as a lie as he has a girlfriend, whom his parents know and love, while going to church, and maintaining an image of a “cool, straight Black teen.” It’s this performance he puts on that he calls the Boogeyman because the Boogeyman shows up to remind Tony that he is living a lie. Tony does express himself though his poetry and one highlight from the book is Tony sharing the poems that he wrote during this time period. There is a distinct difference in the style and tone of these younger poems, from the rest of the memoir, that reminds the reader that Tony will eventually find his way. As Tony attends college and is exposed to a wider world, friendships change, he breaks up with his girlfriend, and does begin to be true to himself. He also begins to find his voice in his poetry as he begins to accept who he is.

Overall I enjoyed “How the Boogeyman Became a Poet” as Tony’s voice as a confused teen growing into a confident young man moved me. There were so many passages that were truly moving and drew me into Tony’s story. Tony’s poems are lyrical with a flow that moves with a smooth beat. He weaves imagery into pictures the eyes can see and moments the heart can feel. I hope that this book becomes an audio book and that Tony is the narrator as his memoir was an enjoyable read, that I can only imagine how it would sound.

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet is a raw, honest, and intentional memoir in verse. This coming of age story follows Tony from childhood to his first year in college as he battles with the Boogeyman. Since early childhood Tony became aware of the Boogeyman lurking in the corners of his life. With his parents divorce, his father's addiction, playground bullies, and his mother struggling to make ends meet, growing up was difficult for Tony. To add to this, from a young age Tony notices how his mind and body changes when he is around boys. Tony is afraid and unsure to admit this. Yet, Tony feels obligated to act out a prescriptive performance of manhood everyday. Tony channels his frustrations, tears, fears, and hopes into his poetry. Tony's writing is safety for him. It gives him the power agency get to the root of his feelings. Tony learns that writing allows him to battle the Boogeyman and his internalized fears.

With precision and pure lyricism readers witness how Tony propels through high school to college by using poetry on his journey of self-discovery and acceptance of being gay Black man.

📖My Thoughts📖

You know that feeling when you read a book and hit that last word and find yourself just completely overcome and overflowing with emotions wondering how something could possibly hit you in such a manner? Well, this book is one of those books. The book was written in verse allowing the writing to just seamlessly flow and the words on the pages were just so powerful. The story itself was just so raw and beautiful. I honestly don’t even know how to begin to put into words how I feel about this book because it literally just left me with THE most severe book hangover I’ve ever experienced. I am the complete opposite of Tony, yet somehow I felt so connected to him and his story. I found myself completely lost in this book shutting out the entire world around me. An escape if you will, into someone else’s life. While Tony’s life wasn’t exactly glorious, I really enjoyed being a part of it for just a short time. This is an absolute must read!
Thank you HarperCollins and Tony Keith Jr for the opportunity to read and review this amazing story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Once again I ventured out into a different type of book than the standard fantasy romance or contemporary romance and I am beyond grateful I did. As a mother to 3 black boys who will grow to become black men, this memoir hit emotions I didn’t know I had. This is definitely a book that will stay front and center on my shelf and will forever be held dear to my heart. Tonys story was captivating and I am honored to have been selected to read his journey. I will say some parts of the book didn’t flow as well as others, BUT that does not change my rating or review because I could tell sometimes they were thoughts being turned into poetry and sometimes that’s what happens. It’s almost like journaling but much more creative and a LOT more beautiful.

I really enjoyed this heartfelt coming-of-age memoir that takes place in DC and its Maryland suburbs in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Tony is a charismatic high school and college student, but doesn’t feel safe letting his friends and family know he is gay. He uses poetry to navigate his faith, his sexuality, and perceived expectations. He narrates the audiobook, and his enthusiasm and spoken-word talents really come through. I wasn’t sure how the print version would hold up, but read it through NetGalley, and it also has a great energy. Recommended.
Thanks to Katherine Tegan Books, Libro.fm ALC, and NetGalley for the e-audio and ebook advance copies.

Out of respect for authors' personal stories, I prefer not to provide star ratings for memoirs.

A phenomenally powerful memoir told in verse, How the Boogeyman Became a Poet follows Tony Keith Jr.’s journey of self-discovery as a gay, Black man as he graduates from high school and pursues higher education as a first-generation college student.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, narrated by the author. Hearing Keith tell his own story (complete with added sound effects) really makes this an entire listening experience.

I loved this one.

Thank you to LibroFM for the educator ALC of this book.

CWs: religious bigotry, hom*ophobia, police brutality

A must-read for young people struggling with gender identity issues. I'm not gay, and I'm not Black, but I found a new understanding of those who are members of either or both of those groups. I've read a lot of African-American literature, but never any gay, African-American literature (not counting James Baldwin who didn't make a big deal of it). It's not just about being a minority within a minority group; it's about not fitting into a culture that encompasses a diverse population. LGBTQ is a culture in itself. Time we both recognized that and gave a helping hand to young people just discovering it for themselves.

I don’t give star ratings to memoirs as I don’t feel it is my place to “rate” someone’s personal story.

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet is a beautifully written young adult memoir about the childhood, adolescence, and college years of a southern closeted gay teen.

Written in verse, the anxieties and struggles of the author are brought to life by poems he had written as a teen and lyrically updated as the man he is now. It explores his insecurities, his fears, his hopes, his triumphs.

A beautifully written coming of age novel that will resonate with anyone who felt like an outsider.

Thanks to Harper Colins Canada for the gifted copy in exchange for review

4.5 stars

Loved the audiobook for this. It had sound effects, and Keith is an excellent narrator. He incorporates pauses and emotion, and I would honestly say that audiobook would be the way to go for this one. The story focuses on Keith's senior year and first year of college in 1999, trying to figure out how to come to terms with his identity.

A lot of the emotions that Keith goes through are still relatable today. Especially teens that might also be struggling with their identity. Definitely a memoir that should be on your radar!

Hear me out. Read this as an audiobook PLEASE! Set it to 2 x speed and feel like you are at an open mic poetry reading the entire time.

Tony Keith Jr. delivers an immersive YA memoir about his childhood growing up as a gay Black boy in PG county (I love when I have lived near an area where a book is set!) This book is so much more than that though and it is easily digested on audio.

Highly recommend for fans of memoirs, poetry, or anyone that is looking for a quick and well done audiobook.

Thanks to librofm for an ALC to enjoy.

This is a powerful memoir of the childhood, adolescence, and college years of a closeted gay black teen from the south.This book was written beautifully in lyrical verse. The poems are powerful and emotional. This is a great coming of age book that every school should have. It navigates fear of being yourself, hom*ophobia, having a girlfriend, and being the first generation of your family to go to college. I think a lot of young people, the author's age, struggle with a lot of this growing up. I definitely recommend this book.

A must read! You will not be disappointed as you come to learn about Tony and his life from HS to college...his years of hiding and learning who he is.

Life as a teenager is not always EZ and navigating HS and the next step, along with society's heterosexual norms, can be a time that can be damaging if you don't have a strong sense of who you really are. Tony takes us through his life w/ bonuses of pics and original written poetry pages.

There are so many memoirs about queer kids who grew up absolutely terrified to be themselves because they were told by their family or friends or church that who they are is disgusting and unnatural and worthy of damnation. Every one of these stories is a tragedy and we must protect and support LGBTQIA+ kids but we must also do the work until all kids feel confident to be their true selves.

I'm not quite sure yet how I feel about audiobooks streaming on Spotify overall, but I DO know that I listened to the author read his story in his own voice, and it completely amplified the experience for me. I would have still enjoyed this important memoir in verse in text, but it was so special to hear the poetry performed, and it was full of life and heart and memories.

I enjoyed the poems, but the dialouge between was lacking. I graduated only 6 years after this took place, but didn't find it relatable. I also felt that the focus on clothing was too much for me and distracted from the quality of the poetry.

There were parts of this book that were truly beautiful, and parts that didn't quite flow for me. I'm not sure of the wide appeal, and the sections in college make it more difficult to add to my collection. Probably more New Adult than YA.

I would say it’s for mature teens.i a really good book of a teen boy figuring things out about himself.as college gets harder he stays in his dorm and talks to gay boys and finds out he is gay and he likes it that way.