On Sale Now!
- A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITOR'S CHOICE
- A PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
- A LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST IN GAY FICTION
A fierce and riveting queer coming-of-age story, following the personal and political awakening of a young gay Black man in 1980s NYC, from the television drama writer and producer of The Chi, Narcos, and Bel-Air.
Praise for
My Government Means to Kill Me
“Full of joy and righteous anger, sex and straight talk, brilliant storytelling and humor, Rasheed Newson’s debut novel has given us the story of Trey, set against the history of 80s queer Black New York, AIDS, and the movements that changed the era. A spectacularly researched Dickensian tale with vibrant characters and dozens of famous cameos, it is precisely the book we’ve needed for a long time. That—and a rollicking read! What more could you want?”
- ANDREW SEAN GREER, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of LESS
“My Government Means to Kill Me is an action-packed, entertaining inside look at the life of a young political rebel. Written with unflinching tenderness, Newson gives us an honest and compelling portrait of a gay Black man coming of age.”
- MATTHEW A. CHERRY, Academy Award-winning director of HAIR LOVE
“Hilarious, heartbreaking, and sexy as all get out.”
- AYELET WALDMAN, author of LOVE AND TREASURE
“Fresh, vibrant and utterly unapologetic. Rasheed Newson has written an unforgettable, take-no-prisoners novel alive with humor and full of urgency. Newson’s Trey and his determination to live life on his own terms, even in the face of death all around him, brings into three dimension an era of New York Queer life that, too often, has been flattened and whitewashed by history.”
- XOCHITL GONZALEZ, author of New York Times bestseller OLGA DIES DREAMING
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is one of the "100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2022"
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is one of "THE BEST BOOKS OF 2022"
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is one of the "BEST DEBUT BOOKS OF 2022"
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is one of the "11 BEST BOOKS OF 2022 BY LGBTQ+ AUTHORS"
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is one of "OUR 23 FAVORITE LGBTQ+ BOOKS OF 2022"
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is one of the "BEST DEBUTS OF 2022"
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is one of the "BEST LGBTQ BOOKS OF 2022"
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is one of the "2022 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - ADULT"
QUEERTY says "MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is
one of the "BEST LGBTQ BOOKS TO READ YOURSELF OR GIFT OTHERS"
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" has been named
one of the "6 PAPERBACKS TO READ THIS WEEK" by THE NEW YORK TIMES
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is a NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE
"MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" is an AMAZON BEST BOOK OF AUGUST 2022
- THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
"...beautifully portrays just how social activism has to be."
"This book should charm its way onto lots of best books of the year lists."
“Delightful and fast-paced, a fascinating narrative of queer activism during the AIDS epidemic.”
"An eloquent story of the struggle for gay liberation"
“Newson’s attention to historical details gives this moving novel a sense of urgency and immediacy.”
"Beautifully written, poignant, and exceptionally well-researched"
Interviews
"Rasheed Newson wants to make you uncomfortable"
"Rasheed Newson centers LGBTQ history in debut novel"
"Rasheed Newson’s Debut Novel Retells the Early Years of AIDS in New York City"
"In 'My Government Means to Kill Me,' vibrant life shines through the AIDS crisis"
"Facts and Fiction Collide in This Clever Novel of AIDS Activism"
"In His Debut Novel, Rasheed Newson Looks At Gay Life Amid The AIDS Crisis"
"Rasheed Newson Talks Activism and Sex Positivity in His New Book"
"Rasheed Newson says his novel, set in the early AIDS era, is ‘a call to action’"
Rasheed Newson talks "unapologetically Black" and "unmistakably Gay" debut novel
“You just have to get on with it.”
Essays, Podcasts & Playlists
CATAPULT - "Reflecting on the Challenges of Telling Femme, Black, Queer Stories"
LITHUB - "A Brief Political—and Personal—History of Gay Bathhouses"
Listen to Rasheed on PERMISSION TO WRITE podcast
Listen to Rasheed on GAYS READING podcast
Listen to Rasheed on BFF: BLACK, FAT, FEMME podcast
Listen to Rasheed on BAD QUEERS podcast
Listen to Rasheed on HOMOPHILIA podcast
Listen to Rasheed on BURNED BY BOOKS podcast
Listen to Rasheed on DEBUTIFUL podcast
Listen to Rasheed on ALL OF IT WITH ALISON STEWART
Watch Rasheed on INSIDE VOICES podcast
Listen to the "MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" Playlist on Apple Music
Listen to the "MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME" Playlist on Spotify
Meet Rasheed Newson
Rasheed Newson is an author, a television drama writer, an executive producer, and a showrunner. "My Government Means to Kill Me" is his debut novel. Rasheed – along with his television writing partner, T.J. Brady – is an Executive Producer of the drama series Bel-Air (Peacock).