Black Boy Joy

Jevon, from “The Legendary Lawrence Cobbler,” is a passionate baker who takes pride in his closeness with his family. He has a deep bond with G’Ma and his father, but his father has been distant lately. Jevon recently came out as gay, and he interpreted his father’s silent response as judgment and disapproval. He wants to win a baking competition to impress his father and win back his respect. What Jevon does not realize is that he never lost his father’s love or respect, but G’Ma helps him discover that truth again. Despite how he thinks his father feels about him, Jevon’s love for his father remains strong, and it is clear he looks up to him: “Dad unleashes his famous grin. It’s like vanilla ice cream melting on warm apple pie—perfect!” (61). Jevon learned the meaning of unconditional love from G’Ma, who feels the same way about Jevon, telling him that he will make his family proud.

Jevon spends the afternoon baking with G’Ma and his father, and when the topic of his crush, Noah, comes up, Jevon’s father falls silent again. Upon hearing that G’Ma is bisexual and had a girlfriend of her own once, Jevon feels less alone and more assured that his father will accept him. He and his father share a heart-to-heart, and Jevon’s father explains that he was afraid to say the wrong thing but would never shame or stop loving his son. During the baking process, Jevon accidentally adds chili powder to the peach cobbler instead of cinnamon, but Jevon’s father is the first to exclaim how delicious it is: “The chili powder gives it a real kick. I love it!” (71). Surrounded by those who came before him, Jevon begins to feel like himself again and discovers a hidden talent for creating unique recipes. This reinforces the theme of The Pillars of Family and Friends.

Dylan, from the poem “Extinct,” is in the midst of grief after the death of his mother. His story unfolds in a poetic narrative written in the first person. It describes Dylan’s experience visiting the Natural History Museum and how seeing the dodo bird reminded him of his mother. Dylan loves prehistoric animals and finds them fascinating, but seeing dinosaurs does not affect him like seeing the dodo bird does. Like many other characters in the collection, Dylan feels weighed down by grief and unable to shake it. Seeing the dodo bird reminds him that his mother is gone forever and that there will never be another one like her. For a long time, Dylan’s grief clouds his vision and prevents him from seeing that a part of her has carried on through him and his sister. He comes to realize that The Pillars of Family and Friends remain strong around him, referring to them as “good trees” (111). Through his grief and with the support of loved ones, Dylan discovers that he can honor his mother by writing about her. His list becomes a poem that details many of the things he will miss, ending with “I love being like you” (113). This suggests that Dylan feels grateful to have had the mother he had and to have a part of her with him always.