#116 Jason Reynolds: Black Boys Deserve Love Stories Too

Over the past 10 years, Jason Reynolds has become one of the most prolific and celebrated writers working today. He writes for a young audience that he believes is ready to think about and discuss the hard things in life, and he recently added a MacArthur Genius Grant to his collection of awards earned for depicting the rich inner lives of kids of color, ensuring that they see themselves and their communities in literature.

But in his latest book, Reynolds is writing for the first time about boys’ emotions and questions surrounding sex and intimacy. And he’s also thinking about why no one ever asks boys or men about their complex interior lives when it comes to these  essential subjects. On this episode of Paternal, Reynolds discusses writing a love story for black boys, what he learned from his father about facing tough challenges in life, and how his father taught him to live a complete life, even on his deathbed.

Reynolds’ new book Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… is available wherever you buy books.

Episode Timestamps: 

00:00 - 06:10 - Intro
06:10 - 08:45 - Ideas for writing a love story
08:45 - 13:24 - The misconception about boys and sex
13:24 - 16:25 - How black boys are misrepresented
16:25 - 19:28 - My dad was kind of a cocksman
19:28 - 23:44 - Where masculinity comes up short
23:44 - 25:35 - Midway break
25:35 - 29:32 - Understanding different versions of the human experience
29:32 - 33:30 - A life fully lived, the whole way through
33:30 - 37:19 - Lessons from a late father