Summary

“The Need for Kisses” by Dhonielle Clayton is the ninth essay in this anthology. In it, Clayton explains her and her father’s shared love of books and her exploration of sexuality and romance through literature during her teenage years when Catholic School appeared to limit her ability to ask questions on the subject publicly. Having experienced crushes on boys and girls alike, Clayton was overjoyed to find a book called “Coffee Will Make You Black” by April Sinclair, in which the black female protagonist undergoes similar realizations. Clayton’s three gay uncles were not able to be ‘out’ and open with the rest of the family due to the latter’s homophobia, thus when they died of HIV/AIDS, Clayton felt she had lost truly significant role models. Later, her mother and father acknowledged her bisexuality and...