30 Under 30 1/30: Saeed Jones

‘Small with wild legs, the boy stole your eyes
the day he was born.’
-from Insomniac

If you ask me what I know to be true in this world, I will tell you a couple of things: God is real, White Castles is the forbidden fruit of angels, and Saeed Jones. Period. Saeed is truth with arms, legs, a fabulously warm smile, and a pen fiercer than Beyonce’s current weave. Whether it is his prose (which you can find everywhere from Ebony Magazine to Buzzfeed, where he is editor of their LGBT page) or his fiction (which got him published in Best of the Net 2012) or his poetry (His chapbook, When the Only Light is Fire,  is for the Gods! Do you hear me?), there is no going wrong with Mr. Jones. His verse comes to you humbly with all it’s blades in plain view. Reading Saeed’s work is like getting sliced by your lover, out of love, and still being in love after. I feel like he drags me through the mud and the fire, and just when I’m about to cuss him out for putting me through it, I realize he’s given me an armor of earth. I always get up from reading feeling wonderfully raw and new, so sure of my humanity and the weakness that I need to better love tenderly. And he fine (have you seen pictures of this human? He is sunshine on toast!). I am thankful that Saeed Jones is on Earth at the same time as me. He is bringing life to writing world unlike that which I’ve ever seen. He is a force. He is a blessing. He is worthy of all the snaps in my hand. Saeed, Shante you stay. Reader (yes, you!) Sashay away… to the rest of the internet and go get into Saeed Jones! 


-Danez Smith

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