Leave Wiser Than You Came

Through stories exploring love affairs, father-son relationships, homophobia, racism, and identity, Leave Wiser Than You Came asks readers to consider why and how the educational system serves as a boon to some Black men but a barrier to others. A six-year-old boy struggles with an obsessive urge to write. A battle of wills ensues between an overweight professor and a male student who may be exploiting the professor's daughter. A Black couple is stalked by an unknown predator. A writing center professional is ensnared in campus and cultural debates surrounding gender. Two high school cheerleaders from opposing teams tentatively discover first love. Jarrett Neal has a gift for crafting uniquely nuanced situations and raising uncomfortable truths—for his characters and for his readers. Both deeply personal and universally insightful, these stories herald the arrival of an exciting new voice in contemporary Black fiction.