Incendiary

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