A Fusion of Literary Commentary and Art

"Off the Porch" is a collection of literary commentary from the members of Visible Man Review, an intergenerational Black men's book club that harnesses individual thought into a collective enterprise for discourse, expression, and intellectual exploration. In the process we build community. This collection of literary commentary showcases the varied perspectives and opinions of a dynamic group of men as they review their 2024 book selections which included works from authors like Percival Everett, Richard Wright, Tembi Locke, Arlene Geronimus and Bruce Norris. VMR's members tackle history, short stories, academic research, plays, memoirs, and novels, with a wit, curiosity, sincerity and touch of a call that is unrivaled and necessary. The written work in "Off the Porch" is complemented by artwork from an equally dynamic group of visual artists from talent-laden Chicago. The fusion of literary commentary and artwork place "Off the Porch" in a lane of its own making.