Negro Side Of The Moon

by Earl Braggs

In Negro Side Of The Moon, Earl Braggs fires:

“…If you will, please understand

that Black on Black crime, as you may,
now, very well know, is un-completely

random, random Saturday night moon
niggers shooting and robbing and killing

and robbing then again other random,
stray Saturday night un-lit moon niggers

and Sunday morning Negroes worship-
ping trousers held up by a leather “maid”

Bible belt twisted around no purpose what-
so-ever to be not clearly seen. Black on Black

crime is a white shirt-white collar crime, wide
as a 12:15 Wall Street neat pile of dirt money,

stationary as a stop-school-street stop sign
traffic light, red-green-red-yellow blinking

night, white as a white Oxford, Mississippi
English Clorox white, buttoned-down white

shirt, tucked, re-tucked perfectly…”

HYPE

What is and has always been needed is an honest, clear, loving voice. Earl Braggs’ Negro Side of the Moon offers that. Pull up your favorite chair and cover your cold feet with your grandmother’s quilt and enjoy this wonderful read.

–Nikki Giovanni

In Negro Side of the Moon, Earl Braggs confronts the “problem of the color line” with lyrical ferocity and politically charged wit. Many things don’t get said about what seems to be a multifaceted conspiracy against the physical safety and mental well-being of Black Americas—which ultimately, calls every life into question. In his new book, Braggs means to sing the whole story in a voice both manic and carefully packed with the freight we’re all obliged to carry—whether we know it or not. If, as Dr. King has said, the destiny of white people is inextricably bound to the destiny of Black people Negro Side of the Moon is an invitation to all of us to wake the hell up and take a long look at what ails the American psyche.

–Tim Seibles