About the Book
This compendium-a collection of concise but detailed information -of poems and essays, comes out of Gerald L. Coleman's historical approach to these collections. He writes from personal experience, in conversation with his participation as a black person from a broader community, aimed at a philosophical affirmation-we are human beings and our lives matter. Incendiary is a collection of poems and essays that, as award-winning poet Jasmine Elizabeth Smith declares-transcends the theoretical and moves into the tangible. He challenges us to become the protagonists of the Afrofuturist tradition we desperately look to in this time to find the courage to act, to love deeply, to tap into that sacred wellspring of anger, and lend our spark to ourselves and ultimately each other in that incendiary flame of justice.This collection of poems and essays is a direct response to the most recent election and current cultural climate. Coleman says come rage with me and let's seek justice and equality together. This is incendiary.
About the Author :
Gerald L. Coleman is a philosopher, theologian, poet, and Science Fiction & Fantasy author. He did his undergraduate work in philosophy, english, and religious studies, followed by a master's degree in theology. He is the author of the Epic Fantasy novel series, The Three Gifts, which currently includes, When Night Falls (Book One), A Plague of Shadows (Book Two), and the upcoming When Chaos Reigns (Book Three). His speculative fiction has appeared numerous anthologies including: The Cyberfunk Anthology: The City, the Roaring Lion Anthology: Rococoa, the Urban Fantasy Anthologies: Terminus 1, 2, and 3, the 2019 JordanCon Anthology: You Want Stories?, Dark Universe: Bright Empire, Cyberfunk!, Spacefunk!, the JordanCon 2022 Anthology: Neither Endings Nor Beginnings, and Whether Change: The Revolution Will Be Weird. His essays appear in the polish language Con-Magazine: KONwersacje, Apex Magazine 127, and the Hugo nominated Fanzine: Journey Planet. His poetry has appeared journals, magazines, and anthologies including: Pluck! The Journal of Affrilachian Arts & Culture, Drawn To Marvel: Poems From The Comic Books, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel Vol. 18, Black Bone Anthology, the 10th Anniversary Issue of Diode Poetry Journal, About Place Journal, Star*line Vol. 43, Issue 4, the Locust Award nominated Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2022), Strange Horizons, and This is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets.He has been a guest author at DragonCon, Boskone, Blacktasticon, JordanCon, Atlanta Science Fiction & Fantasy Expo, SOBSFCon, The Outer Dark Symposium, World Horror Con, Imaginarium, Multiverse, Weird Bites, NECON, the Atlanta Writers Club, Closer Look with Rose Scott on NPR, Dragonmount's reWotch, Glitchy Pancakes Podcast, Blacklisted! Book Fair & Conference, and he's been a Guest Author/Poet/and Lecturer at Berea College, University of Kentucky, Centre College (Governor's School), Transylvania University, Western Carolina University, UNC Charlotte, Florissant College, Kenyon College, Randolph College, the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, Working Class Kitchen, Black & Lit Book Club, Singletary Center for the Arts (Martin & Malcolm), and the Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center.He's served as a Scholastic National Writing Juror, a grant reviewer for the Poetry Foundation, is a Co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets, a Rhysling Award Nominee, a Locust Award Nominee (as an anthology contributor), and a Fellow at the Black Earth Institute. His newest releases include a collection of SF&F short stories entitled, From Earth and Sky, and a collection of poems and micro-essays entitled On the Black Hand Side. You can find him at Geraldcoleman.com.
Review :
Gerald L. Coleman's Incendiary is a fiery provocation that refuses submission to the racist foundations of AmeriKKKa. Part-manifesto and part-celebration of Black life and Black futurities, Coleman's hybrid collection of poetry and essays underscores that the lyrical undercurrents of Black intellectual thought will always illuminate the power of collective freedom. Incendiary brilliantly captures the rage through the lens of what Coleman calls the Black Fantastic-a term that emphatically insists upon the following essential truths: Black people are human; and the inner worlds of Black life are rich, complex, emotional, and, above all, do not require pre-approval from white institutions.-Orchid Tierney, Author of this abattoir is a college
"Coleman's latest book, Incendiary, is a powerful example of creators, as society's conscience, using their voice to express the anger we feel. We are invited, through relatable poems and essays, to recognize the many ways, subtle or obvious, that being Other in America means being treated as less. I love how Coleman uses recognizable concepts like "being color blind" or titles "Bug or Feature: Will Skynet be racist?" to unveil the varied ways inequality manifests."
-Linda D. Addison, award-winning author, HWA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and SFPA Grand Master.
In his aptly titled collection of poems and essays, Incendiary, Gerald L. Coleman uses language to literally and metaphorically process and transform his rage against systemic racism. Writing becomes a form of resistance in this powerful critique of 2025 America, as Coleman deftly weaves together his family history and personal experiences reminding readers of the ways that "Black folks live in a different universe than others in America." The lived experience forms the backdrop for a much broader exploration of the ways racism is manifested in popular culture, media, and technology. Like Claudia Rankine's powerful book Citizen: An American Lyric, Incendiary encourages us all to find the courage to engage with our own rage and use it to create change.
-Marjory Wentworth, former poet laureate of South Carolina, Author of One River, One Boat, Occasional Poems and Other Stories
