This was an excellent short nonfiction book about the Harlem Renaissance figures we know and love, and dissecting their relationship to queerness. I enjoyed reading this book a lot and I just wish it was so much longer!! It was also an excellent audiobook that had snippets of music from the artists discussed. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a short, informative, and queer read. 4.5 rounded up!

🌈Queer rep: historical figures - queer women and men, bi women and men, gay men, lesbian women, nonbinary person.

“Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known” by George M. Johnson is a wonderful overview of LGBTQ+ figures from the Harlem Renaissance. Some were familiar to me; others I had never heard of. This short book is full of Johnson’s observations, great quotes and rich history. I appreciated the definitions and how Johnson did not make assumptions about the reader’s knowledge. He is also a great narrator for the audiobook. This would be a great gift for young adults or adults who want to learn more about this history. The audiobook is also enriched by great musical clips. While I wish the book was longer, “Flamboyants” offers many people, books and music to learn more about and explore. Recommended. Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

I love Johnson's writing. There's something about how he personalized his connection to the historical figures he wrote about that made me feel as if I were getting to know him better and was getting a glimpse of how he developed as a person.

My main critique is that this could have been longer. I wanted more, and before I knew it, I was done.

I'd like to thank Netgalley for the advanced listener copy. The narration, done by the author, is fantastic.

Four stars for bringing attention to historical figures in entertainment (in the Harlem Renaissance) that are both Black and likely queer, figures that deserve as much attention as their white and/or straight counterparts! An educational little book for younger readers, definitely.

What was distracting for me personally was that this book (which in audio was only a little over two hours), was as much about the author, their work and their personal feelings and connection, as it was about the people spotlighted in each chapter. (I listened to All Boys Aren't Blue last year so this isn't my first foray into Johnson's work-- but he does even reference this book of theirs in this little book also!). I would have rather the focus been about the people they were trying to showcase rather than what he liked about them, or how he has (had?) a non-profit and only came across one of these figures them while looking for a name for the award. I don't think I as a reader need to know all that about the author in a set of mini-biographies of other people? I think there was also a bit of poetry before each section, some of which was uncredited and some was self-credited.

What I did really like though was the bit of music before each entry, some of which being music from these people and from that era, truly gifts to hear in little snippets as they were, to further contextualize and draw us into the era a bit more. Love an audiobook that does little adjustments and additions to make the experience that much more fun!

In the end it's a good little book for younger readers but it could have used a little less self-insertion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the ALC in exchange for review!

What can I say about this remarkable book? I was lucky to attend a school that covered the Harlem Renaissance, which has become one of my favorite historical periods. This work serves as a heartfelt tribute to cherished artists, poets, and singers of that era, whose lives were often stifled and scrutinized. It delves into the queerness of their experiences and the aspects of themselves they may have felt compelled to conceal. Discovering the queer Harlem Renaissance was a true revelation for me as a queer individual. This is definitely one of my top five books of the year.

Flamboyants by George M Johnson
Release Date: 9/24:/24
Format: audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

George M Johnson has such a way with storytelling and Flamboyants is no different. This book is a YA collection of essays about Black and Queer icons from the Harlem Renaissance and it is fantastic!

In this audiobook that is just shy of two and a half hours, I not only learned unknown information about artists I love like Ma Rainey & Bessie Smith, I also learned about other badasses I’ve never even heard of before like Gladys Bentley & Alain Locke (who I cannot wait to research further)!

I think the fact that Johnson even thought to write this book (and that it is YA and bite size but so impactful) is awesome. I will forever read anything they write and I really hope you all check this book out when it releases! Big thank you to @netgalley for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Always a great time reading this authors work. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by George M. Johnson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

I highly encourage the reader to consume this as an audiobook. This is narrated by the author George M. Johnson with a lively jazz based musical soundtrack. Each chapter we are introduced to another queer Harlem Renaissance artist, and as they are introduced, music plays. If they were a singer its a song of theirs. Mr. Johnson's narration is powerful. The listener can hear the emotion in his voice. This is beautifully done, as much of an experience as it is a book.

I love the Harlem Renaissance. I've studied it since I was school-age. Like the author, Black History Month was my favorite time in school. I love history, and reading about historical Black folks always makes me happy. I'm also queer. I'm older than this author and grew up in a time none of this was discussed or accepted. So I love that resources like this exist for today's young readers. I remember when I found out Josephine Baker was bisexual. I held that detail close to my heart throughout my childhood.

This book also serves as a wonderful introduction to the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. I love that the author pulls no punches and calls in bad behaviors like internalized homophobia, colorism, classism, and misogynoir.

Even if you don't have a young person to suggest this to or purchase this for, consider giving it a listen as an adult. It's short, entertaining, and packed with important facts.

Thank you to George M. Johnson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

5 stars

George M. Johnson keeps showing up with stellar representation and a fearless desire to bring young readers the unmitigated (but still age appropriate) truth about people's identities and experiences. This latest nonfictional effort on noteworthy queer artists of the 1920s (the Harlem Renaissance) is no exception.

I have one complaint about this book, and it's a good one; I wish there were more of it. Though it is nonfiction, which may be a challenge for a younger target audience, Johnson tells the stories of their selected individuals in a compelling, well-paced way that makes this already brief book absolutely fly by. The audio version is exceptional and also adds so much to the experience.

This is one I'll be recommending to readers of all ages. It's another hit, though in a bit of an unexpected package, from a tremendous author.

Flamboyants is a brilliant discussion of the queer artists from the Harlem Renaissance. I really enjoyed learning more about all of these people. I received an e-arc of the audiobook from Macmillan audio, and felt like the narrator did a great job making it engaging. I also loved the different sound effects that were used. This is an important book in black queer history, and I am so happy I had the chance to read it!

Thanks to NetGalley, George M. Johnson, and Macmillan Audio for the chance to read and review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Flamboyants is a brilliantly written set of informative and moving essays. It is a short audiobook, which I put on while packing, and then later while in flight. George M. Johnson is a clear narrator, easy to follow, and his essays are written with just as much clarity.

These essays are emotional, and have taught me a lot of people who I had never known, and taught me even more about the people I had. They aim to tell the stories of the people focused upon in a well-rounded manner; imperfections are told along with triumphs and legacies.

One quote that stuck out to me especially was: <i>(About conversion therapy)"Not much is known about what specific "fixing" Gladys went through, only that it didn't work. It never works. It only makes a person fear their identity, not change it."</i>. I found this incredibly powerful, and had to pause and figure out how to bookmark my place because it stuck out to me so very much.

Overall, Flamboyants is a fantastic read. The audiobook is filled with lush music and is entertaining to listen to, along with informative and fascinating. I really, really enjoyed my listen.

This was a really great and quick listen from George M. Johnson. As always, they did a wonderful job of narrating each essay and I really enjoy the tidibits of jazz music that plays before each chapter. I knew a lot of the stories shared about these great figures discussed in this book, but I also learned new additional facts along with completely new people in general. Since this is young adult, I think this will be great for young people, especially, but not limited to, those who identify as queer because its great to see that these people have been here forever and have been representing for the queer community. I think Johnson did a great job of telling these stories for a younger audience.