How the Boogeyman Became a Poet: A YA Memoir in Verse of a Black, Gay Teen’s Journey to Self-Discovery Through Poetry

Gr 9 Up–Poet and educator Keith delivers an upbeat, rhythmic, thought-provoking memoir in verse set in the Washington, D.C., metro area during the late 1990s. It rings like an anthem to adolescence as the vibes meld to create a mash-up verse work filled with powerful words and just enough gut-wrenching punch. Growing up, Keith learned, as many others, that the boogeyman cliché is merely a ghostly spirit seeking out the bad behaving. In this candid memoir, his soulful literary ballad-ish form awakens the boogeyman as a formidable shadow lurking to devour the soul of adolescence as he comes of age. Wrapped in internal conflict and themes of safety and growing up, Keith’s memoir draws readers in through emotional rhythmic beats and the ebb and flow of maturation from boyhood to college life. Reminiscent of the works of Kwame Alexander and Nikki Giovanni, this memoir deconstructs the boogeyman through shades of grey, mixed media, and questionable rites of passage to reveal greatness.