Staceyann Chin has appeared on television and radio discussing
issues of race and sexuality, but it is her extraordinary voice that
launched her career as a performer, poet, and activist--here, she
shares her unforgettable story of triumph against all odds in this
brave and fiercely candid memoir.
No
one knew Staceyann's mother was pregnant until a dangerously small
baby was born on the floor of her grandmother's house in Lottery,
Jamaica on Christmas Day. Staceyann's mother did not want her and her
father was not present--no one, except her grandmother, thought
Staceyann would survive.
It
was her grandmother who nurtured and protected and provided for
Staceyann and her older brother in the early years. But when the
three were separated, Staceyann was thrust, alone, into an unfamiliar
and dysfunctional home in Paradise, Jamaica. There, she faced far
greater troubles than absent parents. So, armed with a fierce
determination and exceptional intelligence, she discovered a way to
break out of this harshly unforgiving world.
Staceyann
Chin, acclaimed and iconic performance artist, now brings her
extraordinary talents to the page in a brave, lyrical, and fiercely
candid memoir about growing up in Jamaica. She plumbs tender and
unsettling memories as she writes about drifting from one home to the
next, coming out as a lesbian, and finding the man she believes to be
her father and ultimately her voice. Hers is an unforgettable story
told with grace, humor, and courage.