Saeed Jones

Saeed Jones is the author, main character, and narrator of How We Fight For Our Lives. The book follows Saeed's life from his childhood into his mid-twenties. Saeed is a homosexul African-American man and those facts make up a significant part of his identity. Furthermore, they inform how he relates to the world around him and the culture in which he is living. From a young age, Saeed learns about the risks of racist and homophobic violence that make him feel unsafe in American society. This fear seems to be a big part of his childhood and teen years, particularly after he hears about specific hate crimes targeted against the African American and LGBTQ+ communities.

From a young age, Saeed is interested in books and reading. During difficult times of his life, he turns to the library and eventually to writing his own poems and stories...