“we was boys together” brings community to the Atlanta Theatre

Copies of “we was bois together”. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice Walking into the Atlanta Theatre on Saturday, June 29 felt more like attending a family reunion than a discussion on a book release. Lauryn Hill’s music blasted through the speakers, attendees embraced each other as if they had been separated for years, this was a celebration.& The Atlanta Theatre welcomed Kelsey L. Smoot, a poet, author, and trans-rights activist, for the signing and reading of their book, “We Was Bois Together,” a collection of poems explores themes of identity, community, and the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality. The evening began with a conversation moderated by Tiana Brawley and Smoot reflected on their journey from their early years to their current doctoral studies. Smoot, a PhD student at the College of William and Mary, moved to Atlanta in the winter of 2022 to start their doctoral research. They are now in the final year of their dissertation, focusing on masculinity and identity formation at the nexus of race, gender, and sexuality. Smoot explained the title of their collection as an allusion to Toni Morrison’s 1973 novel “Sula.” In Morrison’s novel, character’s Nel and Sula share a profound connection...