AltBrothers

By Justin Hall

Available at Brothas N Da Spirit : Airleaf : Amazon

I had church the other day. Earlier in the day I spent the afternoon having brunch with some amazing men (from a YAHOO Group)at the Gospel Brunch at B.B. Kings here in New York City and when I got home I decided to start reading “…and let the choir say Amen!” and with a mug of lemon zinger tea, the comfort of my bed, that is what I did and as a song that was sung at brunch stated, “Oh! Happy Day,” it most certainly was at the conclusion of this amazing book by Caesar Brunswick.

Mr. Brunswick truly has been annointed and it shows in this book that he truly has been gifted with the
ministry of words, of creating a story that truly has the reader feeling like he/she is there watching all of this take place rather than reading the story.

“…and let the choir say Amen!” follows Arthur Wilson to college at Fennimore State University where he joins the school’s gospel choir and where he meets some interesting characters along with giving the reader some insight into Arthur’s formative years while a student at this University.

With a deft writing hand Mr. Brunswick leads the reader into the world of not just a young man but young men and women from the South and the navigation of intersecting one’s sexuality and spirituality.

Mr. Brunswick introduces a variety of characters that speak to you as you know these characters intimately.
These characters are either people in your life (past and present) or these characters are you (past and
present).

Mr. Brunswick weaves into the past and present with precision and does not miss a beat in capturing the angst we encountered when we left home for college coupled with those burgeoning feelings of sexuality and how through it all we made it through.

I truly applaud Mr. Brunswick on his approach to writing about the Black Gay lifestyle. It is at times raw but in all its way it is the truth and he gives the reader a glimpse into this world be it good, bad, and ugly. I truly enjoyed when Arthur not only showed but talked to a fellow classmate about the ins and outs of this lifestyle.

Mr. Brunswick uncovers the truth albeit fiction in regards to church ministers having their way with young boys and the effect that it has when these young men enter into adulthood. He speaks to concerns about women having boyfriends who are secretly involved with men and how there is this stronghold to keep one’s sexuality suppressed as one who engages in these acts surely cannot be a child of God. He puts, in this instance, the South and its politics under the microscope and at times it leaves one very sad at the notion that this is happening and has been happening for quite some time and quite possibly is here to stay.

For those who grew up in the South this book may truly resonate with you and have you confront some internal issues that you may have laid dormant so as to not confront your past but how your past is dictating your present.

As a preacher speaking to his congregation there was some stumbles made by Mr. Brunswick but as we say in
church, “It’s alright. Take your time,” Mr. Brunswick gets back on course and delivers a moving story.

I challenge each of you to read this book but know that for some that challenge will not be met as this book speaks to one about their sexuality and spirituality and for some there is no connection of the two.

I close with what Herndon Davis wrote in his foreword and how it applies to us all…

“Instead, God created a fully integrated thriving physical-spiritual-sexual being that must be celebrated in its entirety and all of its diversity!”

Thank you, Caesar Brunswick, for writing a book that touched my Spirit.

Ache
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Justin Hall resides in New York City and moderates his own online reading group “justreading - Just Us Boys”