Run in Such a Way

A poet's candid and probing exploration of faith, Blackness, and masculinity

With poems that closely examine familial bonds and heritage, biblical teachings, a shifting understanding of home, and the violence of toxic masculinity, Justin Danzy's Run in Such a Way sits at the crossroads of religion, race, gender, and more. A collection about pursuit, tracking the narrative of its speaker's journey toward a deeper understanding of himself and of his community as he moves from child to man, the book wrestles with the way an identity is constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed again throughout one's life. Playful and sincere in equal measure, Danzy's command of the line carries us through as we travel with the speaker to the precipice of belief. Danzy's lyrical voice and fealty to his people pays homage to the world that made him, and considers all that the speaker of this tremendous debut has—both wisely and foolishly—run toward and away from in the search for truth.