Twenty years ago, poetry by openly gay and lesbian writers would have been uneven at best, and at worst an embarrassment. The times have changed, and for the better.


You Don't Know Me -  is a book of black gay men's poetry written by Canadian based writer, Orville Lloyd Douglas.  If you are looking for some explosive, thought provoking poems, this is the book to get.

Controversial, outspoken, and often explosive, the poems in this book take the reader on a journey into the often-ignored world of the gay black man.  In a voice ranging from the humorous to that of brutal honesty and controlled rage, Orville Lloyd Douglas covers a variety of issues, from racism in the gay community to homophobia in the larger community, and from family discord to the sex-trade industry.

Some may find a gay poetry book unnecessary. After all, a poet is a poet. And, as certain celebrities are so fond of saying these days, people shouldn't be categorized by whom they sleep with; in fact, it shouldn't be an issue at all.

Yet You Don't Know Me, a wide-ranging and literally breathtaking collection of 58 black gay poems, proves that while sexual orientation may not determine a uniform identity, it does encompass a wealth of shared experience. The poems vary extensively in tone, voice, and subject.

I especiall like the short poem titled, "Stereotype":

Close your eyes and you will see me
Hear my voice now you are deaf
Feel my pain the skin is numb
Open your mind now it is blank
Tell me am I real?

Orville Lloyd Douglas is a poet with vision and a wealth of experience.  Almost all the poems you read have an identifying line or lines.  Yet all the selections find common ground in the pain and triumph that comes with being a black gay man, wherever you are. The stereotypes, the racism, the ignorance.

Of course, how he expresses and renders the experience of difference, specifically as it relates to sexual desire, is distinctly shaped by class, gender, ethnicity, and just plain old personality.

Orville Douglas offers a jolt or a caress, ample evidence of the richness of the poetry scene and the extravagant talents of queer writers.

We recommend getting this book and judge for yourselves.

Purchase the book at Amazon.co.uk or  Amazon.ca or  Amazon.com

---

Orville Lloyd Douglas has a BA in History from York University in Canada.  His work, consisting of poetry, short stories and articles, has been published in the Toronto Star, Xtra, Now, Young People's Press, Excalibur, extensively on the Internet, as well as in several African American magazines, including Venus, Urban Moziak, Arise, Pedestal, and The Rhapsody Review. He lives in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Check out his personal website.

Author: Douglas, Orville Lloyd,
Title: You don't know me
Published: Toronto : TSAR Publications, c2005
ISBN: 1894770226
Notes:  Poems
Subject(s): Gay men Poetry
Call Number: PS8607.O67 Y67 2005