The Day I Stopped Being Pretty

Book excerpt: The Day I Stopped Being Pretty, chronicles the life of a young, black, gay male who awakes and finds himself in the emergency room after a failed suicide attempt, reflecting on the men who shaped him into the person he has become. After waking up after failed suicide attempt, a young, black, gay man begins to reflect on the vent of his life that led to this moment. His story addresses the discovery of his burgeoning sexuality and his life filled with low self-esteem, leading him to seek love in the arms of many to compensate for the love he never received from his father. During the course of his life, we see his battle with substance abuse, physical abuse, and sexual activities that lead to his eventual HIV diagnosis. After he shares the path that led him to his own self-destruction, he realizes the love that he has sought in many others, has always been in the one place he never looked: within himself. This raw and gritty story spans twenty-seven year of the lead character’s life, as he faces racism, homophobia, rape, and coping with being HIV positive. It is a story that shows the face of growing up black, living gay, and staying positive. The Day I Stopped Being Pretty is one that shows triumph over adversity and the ability to find the love we all search for: self-love.