Fire Shut Up in My Bones

The narrator and brutally honest voice of the narrative, Blow moves through his life always seeking the attention and love that seems out of reach from parents and relatives who have too much on their plate. An introverted boy—a “mama’s boy,” he calls himself—Blow clings to his mother, despite the sidelong glances of adults in the neighborhood who see masculinity and femininity in stark, restrictive terms. Blow is aware of the skeptical looks and hushed whispers which permeate his very skin, harming his self-esteem. Chester’s sexual abuse only exacerbates that feeling of otherness, turning it deeply and destructively inward. His grades suffer, he is wrongly labeled “slow,” and he begins a long battle with depression which lasts into adulthood.

On the outside, however, Blow excels. When he transfers to a new school, he is reassessed and labeled gifted; he becomes a star point guard on the school basketball team; his science project earns him a trip to the international science fair; he is elected freshman class president at Grambling State University and president of his fraternity; and he earns a coveted internship at the New York Times through a combination of talent and persistence.