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D. Watkins talks about the power of love, rejection and telling the truth

Years of living the lies of toxic masculinity--and moving beyond that--fill D. Watkins' latest memoir, "Black Boy Smile." Credit: Provided by author
Years of living the lies of toxic masculinity--and moving beyond that--fill D. Watkins' latest memoir, "Black Boy Smile." Credit: Provided by author

D. Watkins is tired of the lies. Lies about being tough, about not feeling pain … or loss … or rejection.

In his latest book, ‘Black Boy Smile: A Memoirin Moments,’Watkins shows how he learned to face those lies and push through to the truth. He hopes everyone, especially young Black men and boys, find that strength from his stories:

“I want them to understand that we all have the power to write our own scripts. I want them to understand that even if you’re from a rough environment, you still deserve a happy ending, you deserve to be loved, you deserve people to care about you and you deserve to care about other people.” (15 sec)

Plus, how reading set his life on a whole different path.

D. Watkins is part of the Writers LIVE! series at Enoch Pratt Central Library on Wed. Aug. 3 at 7pm. More details here. He'll also be signing copies of "Where Tomorrows Aren't Promised" with Carmelo Anthony at Urban Reads on Saturday Aug. 6 at 2pm. More info here.

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'