God's Boy

by Andrew Hahn

God's Boy grapples with the fallibility of the body and desire in the ex-Christian tradition. A commentary on the church’s toxic masculinity, the speaker reconciles his worship between dad/dy and God, seeking a loving mirror for the queer body.

Genres: Poetry, LGBT, Gay, Queer

40 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2019

Reviews

[Eric Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Boys are born crying"

I know you aren't supposed to judge books by their covers, but I couldn't say no to the neon briefs. Andrew Hahn has written a collection that might be mini but is lacking in naught. God's Boy reclaims preaching and prayer from the church and deflects it back at the institution. It is loud about being queer and is at a point in life where they know that being queer is okay and that it's the church with the issue. There is also a dad that takes issue, but that's what dad/dy (brilliant) and dad/dies (even more brilliant) is/are for. Hahn's speaker(s?) not only own their queerness, but also their boyness. In 2020, I'm more likely to see intergenerational relationships on tumblr or naughty websites, so to see alternative forms of love and lust on the page fills the book with value. Like all poetry chapbooks from Sibling Rivalry, God's Boy will be perfect on your reading desk, your coffee table, or your purse. You might want to bring it everywhere.

[Kevin Bertolero · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What is more masc than fucking men... / boys are not born w a bud in one hand & a dick in the other / boys are born crying”

This chapbook pushed me to the ground and took my breath away.

[Timothy Arliss OBrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry is a literary masterpiece that explores the all too common struggle of queer people being raised in the evangelical faith. Through humor, dark confessions, and sexual honesty, this book encapsulates the relatable experience that so many marginalized people experience. A breath of fresh perspective and words strung together to be a freeing experience of a read.

[Jeremy Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great poetry book. Short, but heavy topics - a must read for anyone from ex-gay therapy or exvangelicals in general.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first time reading poetry and I mostly enjoyed it. Some of the themes felt a bit repetitious after a bit but there is a poem which made me cry in here which is worth a lot. I hope Hahn has continued to write.

[Miguel Vega · Rating 4 out of 5]

"i want to know what it feels like to reach into a man
& pull out the thing that hurts."

[Zachary Tatom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can earnestly say that I connected more with this book than I ever have with poetry before. The content is raw, direct, and brave. Hahn confronts the friction between religious upbringing and queer identity, explores father/son, Father/Son, and daddy/boy dynamics, and tackles trauma with bravery and sincerity. It's a brilliant, short work from an author with a bright future.

[That One Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the fourth time I said out loud, "Oh wow, I really love that line," I knew that this collection of poems was going to hit hard, and hit hard it did. These poems feel like a reclaiming of something lost through growing up religious and gay, in the most powerful and sexy way.

[Victoria Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

boys like us brought me to my knees. A must-read

[Hugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond raw, beyond disturbing, beyond captivating. This is a collection of courageous and unapologetic poems that radiate an expository light upon many unpolished facets of being gay in unfriendly environments; of questioning the religious precepts that leave so many feeling thrust outside humanity; of letting yourself tumble into your scariest passions, damage be damned.

These poems leave you as a voyeur into desire, trauma, and discovery with no self-pity or overplay.

Brilliant.