EDITOR’S NOTE

I was drawn to nominate “The Good, Good Men” because of the complex multivalence of Miles and Theo, the way that Shannon was able to give these two brothers a tenderness not often afforded to black male characters. Shannon’s writing, her dialogue especially, felt honest and familiar—not familiar in the sense that I’d heard these voices before, but familiar as if they were kinfolk having a conversation while driving on a road I’ve been down before. I’m always looking for stories that generate more questions than answers, and Shannon’s refusal to provide her reader with a neat/tidy/resolved ending to this family narrative felt exciting for me, and trained my eye to future work from her as a writer. I’m honored that the Puerto del Sol Black Voices Series was a first home for her work, and that PEN America is honoring the story now.

Naima Yael Tokunow

Editor, Black Voices Series

Puerto del Sol