I write to say something—politically, physically, sonically, emotionally—that gives light to the otherwise mystified experiences of my people. My people are those racialized, pathologized, disenfranchised; those who have had to feel their way through the dark to find themselves. Growing up, it was near impossible for me to find someone like me in my immediate space. To survive that experience, I immersed myself in books, diaries, and lit communities, always attempting to join/make space for others who were also under those conditions. Because that immersion quite literally saved me, I’m committed to writing towards my people and pouring back into the political-literary landscape for as long as I’m breathing.

Getting this support from the National Endowment for the Arts means I’m finally able to create without the added anxiety of money. Often, I’ve felt as if I’m not rich or noteworthy enough to be a writer, so having the validation of being an NEA Fellow, along with funding that will go towards my craft and community, will propel me into heights young KB could never fathom. During this fellowship, I will work on VINTAGE, a novel in verse and screenplay project on the life-saving necessity of Black queer friendship, and do my best to contribute to a future where my people get to learn, create, and be.