“B-Boy Blues,” the groundbreaking novel written by James Earl Hardy, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and locals can mark the milestone with the stage production of the same name Feb. 25 at the Painted Bride Arts Center.
The play, like the book, has won awards and acclaim as the first gay hip-hop live story. It follows the lives of black gay men in New York City and focuses on the relationship between Mitchell, an educated professional journalist, and Raheim, a younger b-boy bike messenger.
Hardy said that getting “B-Boy Blues” was a hard sell to publishers 20 years ago, who didn’t think that gay black love stories were marketable.
“I remember when I first wrote ‘B-Boy Blues’ and one of the constant lines I received from editors who rejected it was, ‘There’s no audience for black men falling in love,’” Hardy said. “Now, 20 years and six sequels later, it’s clear that there is. And not all of those people are black and gay.”
Hardy said that the visibility of gays in the African-American community and in the world as a whole has changed dramatically in the two decades since the novel was first published.
“Times are different for same-gender-loving people,” he said. “We are not only more visible but, because of legislation and due to social media, many more of us are out. Twenty years ago you certainly wouldn’t have public figures and celebrities casually mentioning in interviews that they have a partner or they are married because those things weren’t prevalent back then. The climate has definitely become more embracing but there is still a contingent that are hell-bent on erasing us figuratively and literally, not only from history but today.”
Aundra Goodrum, who plays Mitchell, and Reginald L. Barnes, who plays Mitchell’s friend Gene, in the stage production said the book resonated with people both then and now, and the novel continues to have a positive impact on audiences.
“I’ve had many of my own friends and audience members who have seen the show tell me that they remember reading it before they came out, and it put a perspective on what they were going through and gave them hope and confidence,” Goodrum said.
“When I was younger and I was reading the book, I remember the description of Gene and they called him an Arsenio Hall lookalike and people used to call me an Arsenio Hall lookalike when I was younger,” Barnes added. “And now he’s back on TV so it’s come full-circle. Black gay culture is a lot more accepted now media-wise. With all the web content, people can see all facets of life. If this book were to come out in 2014, it wouldn’t be as groundbreaking. This novel was the first semblance of black gay urban culture that we saw written, and it affected all those boundaries. It was an amazing time but everything was so closeted. Everything had to be done in the dark and that is not the case now.”
Goodrum added that, while things have gotten better for the representation of gays and lesbians in the African-American community, there is still a long way to go.
“I think it’s still very much in its infancy of evolution,” he said. “Now we’re starting to see some gay hip-hop artists like Frank Ocean, who came out recently, and the ‘Same Love’ song was a huge hit. But there is still a lot of backlash that we are seeing. It’s something that some people are not comfortable talking about, rappers especially. I think it’ll take some time. Hip-hop is a very manly, bravado-filled culture and initially that is the antithesis of what people think of when they think of homosexuality. So it’ll take a few more years before hip-hop will catch up with mainstream society on gay issues.”
Hardy said that, even with the success of “B-Boy Blues” and its sequels, as well as the success of other gay black authors, the book industry is still resistant to publishing and promoting novels written from a gay black perspective.
“Unfortunately there is still this idea amongst too many editors and publishers that black people don’t read and, if black people don’t read, certainly black gay people don’t read and, by extension, people who are not black and/or gay don’t want to read stories about black gay people,” Hardy said. “That has not stopped many black gay authors from publishing their own work. That’s the nature of the business, but marginalized voices are not seen as being valuable and commercial. I think this series proves that this is not the case but we’ve been treated as aberrations and that is unfortunate because there is so much talent in that literary pool that is not being nurtured and snatched up that could cross over.”
Goodrum and Hardy both said that the “B-Boy Blues” story, in both stage and book form, appeal to diverse audiences.
“While it does tend to attract a gay black male audience, it’s a love story,” Goodrum said. “It’s a Romeo and Juliet-type story that anyone can relate to, provided they have an open mind and can find the commonality. It’s a black gay love story that is relevant and timely. In typical portrayals of gay life, it’s white couples that are featured, whether it be on TV or film. I hope people take away the understanding that this is an important aspect of the community that has stories and values and wisdom it can share.”
“One of the greatest blessings that I have received over the years is that people who are not black and/or gay and/or male have embraced the story,” Hardy added. “I think that has everything to do with the fact that, even if they never thought that they would read a book like ‘B-Boy’ or a see a play like it, they realize that our lives aren’t that much different. The things that Pooquie and Little Bit, Raheim and Mitchell go through as a couple is what all couples go through. Now that we’re marching towards seeing marriage equality and seeing more states coming to their senses, I think the audience and, by extension, the novel will grow.”
Hardy added that he hopes the growth of “B-Boy Blues” will soon include more stage plays, bigger stages and eventually the big screen.
“Given the response to ‘B-Boy,’ there is the possibility that the sequel titles will be coming to the stage,” he said. “My eyes are mainly on the prize of seeing ‘B-Boy’ go on Broadway and eventually a film version.”
“B-Boy Blues” comes to Philadelphia 7 p.m. at Painted Bride Arts Center, 230 Vine St. For more information or tickets, call 215-925-9914 or visit www.paintedbride.org.