Live Through This

June 19, 2017
Cane leads readers through a poignant, pop music–laden exploration of his overlapping identities: the black son of a white mother, the femme son of a distant father, and a gay man in a nation fighting its antiquated views on sexuality. Cane provides a frank and emotional description of his coming-of-age. He divides the essays into five sections (on sexuality, love, race, God, and intersections) that follow him roughly chronologically as he grows up in Washington State, West Philadelphia, and eventually New York City. Throughout, Cane interrogates notions of enforced masculinity—as a child, he danced in his mother’s red dress and was then forced to box by his father—and vividly depicts the performance of gender. Mainstream society’s burgeoning awareness of gender fluidity makes this book a timely study of social constructs guiding gender expression. Cane’s observations on the intersections of class and race, which do not shy away from the quagmire of being poor in America, resonate in today’s fraught political climate. Even when he addresses painful issues such as domestic violence, sexual exploitation, food insecurity, and inadequate mental health care, he retains humor and compassion. The book is an affirming and enjoyable read for those interested in African-American or LGBTQ experiences.