Better to Cry Now

“Geoffrey Newman’s brave book is awe inspiring. He takes us on a treacherous journey of self-discovery, where he invites us into vivid scenes of joy, pain, sorrow, anger, love, disappointment, triumph, and redemption as he searches for identity. Geoffrey was profoundly instrumental in my own development as a young drama student at Howard University. And now he is taking that seasoned wisdom to others in the form of this book. I am certain that Better To Cry Now will not only change but indeed save people’s lives. In this harsh and cruel time that we live in, what a gift it is to receive such a precious flower.” —Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs, San Francisco Arts Commission

“Better to Cry Now holds significant meaning and value from my perspective, for it chronicles a pathway to one’s very best life in the presence of existential obstacles. Geoffrey’s journey narrates the life of a charming, optimistic, gay, Black man who had the creativity and tenacity to live life on his terms. Geoffrey’s vision for his dazzling future was the catalyst that catapulted him toward living his brightest story in every area of his professional and personal life.” —Sandra Bowie, award-winning actress; vice-chair, National Guild for Community Arts Education; former vice president for arts education, New Jersey Performing Arts Center; former executive director, Billie Holiday Theater, New York

"Geoffrey Newman has written a memoir that is engaging, honest, hopeful, and purposeful. He reminds us that the emotional scars and wounds we carry within us begin to heal when first we confront the pains that caused them with perception and honesty, and then when we take positive action, committing ourselves to the process of change in how we see ourselves, how we see others (not as adversaries or challenges, but as flawed human beings like ourselves), and in how we see our world around us (not as a space that exists only as a force that acts upon us, but as a space in which we can experience our best selves). It is then that we can construct a space in which we can be, finally, unafraid." —Richard E. Wesley, associate professor, NYU Tisch School of the Arts

“Newman’s career memoir illustrates strategies to forge ahead by staying focused on one’s vision for success and staying true to the person we are. His story provides the reader with a role model that chronicles the multiple challenges one may confront as a Black child, fine arts student, performer, faculty member, musical theatre director, department head, and Black gay man. I enthusiastically recommend Newman’s Better to Cry Now.” —Maurice J. Sevigny, PhD, Dean Emeritus, College of Fine Arts, University of Arizona

“Reading Better to Cry Now is like having a conversation with a wise old friend. His life is a classic American success story, with the Civil Rights and Gay Rights movements as part of the backdrop of his life. He has both lived through changing times and helped to change the times. I admire his perseverance and unflagging good cheer. In a time when reactionary forces are trying to devalue concepts like diversity and inclusion, his life is a vivid reminder of the importance of both.” —Chip Deffaa, award-winning author and playwright and former music and theater critic for the New York Post

“The adventures of one who finds his way from the hidden worlds of Blacks passing as whites and gays passing as heterosexuals are told in a manner that reveals lessons learned at each encounter. Holistically and introspectively, educator and performer/director Geoffrey Newman invites the reader on a journey, not just about how he was shaped by personal experiences and how he shaped others, but also how he gained an ever deeper understanding and empathy for the life of the everyman.” —Ronald L. Sharps, Associate Dean, College of the Arts, Montclair State University