‘Love Is a Dangerous Word’ features a collection of rare 30-year-old poems by Black queer author Essex Hemphill

Revered Black queer poet and activist Essex Hemphill’s literary works have finally returned to print in a newly released collection called Love is a Dangerous Word: the Selected Poems of Essex Hemphill.

The book, released March 4, features selections from Hemphill’s book Ceremonies, his poems published in various magazines, and his writings from several chapbooks. John Keene and Robert F. Reid-Pharr edited the latest collection of his works for New Directions Publishing.

Recognized as one of the most influential poets of his generation, for over three decades, Hemphill has been lauded for his legacy of politically bold, lyrical, and imaginative writing.

Hemphill’s writing talents expanded beyond poetry. He contributed to In The Life: A Black Gay Anthology, a collection edited by Joseph Beam, and

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