Book Review: Flamboyants by George M. Johnson and Charly Palmer

Do you need a little beauty in your life right now? Let me recommend Flamboyants, by George M. Johnson with illustrations by Charly Palmer. This is a beautiful little book with the subtitle of “The queer Harlem Renaissance I wish I’d known” and it’s all about Black LGBTQIA+ artists and thinkers. Each essay is accompanied by a gorgeous, colorful image by Palmer (I think they’re all painted but they could be digital art with painterly textures, I have zero art education here).

What I didn’t realize when I picked this book up (because I bought it at Nook & Cranny, a store laid out by mood and theme, not age category and genre) is that this book was written for a young adult audience; in this case, Johnson is specifically writing to Black queer teens, giving those kids the book Johnson wish they’d had access to as a teen. As with my recent reading of The Message, it was an interesting experience to be regularly, blatantly reminded that I’m not the intended audience, allowing me to reflect on my different lens as a reader.

Johnson writes each essay in a very conversational tone, weaving together the life (and sometimes death) of the featured figure, Johnson’s own life and experience, other moments in history, and pop culture and the current state of affairs, to try to make these figures relatable to today’s LGBTQIA+ community.

One thing I really appreciated is that while Johnson highlights the work and brilliance of each person featured, they don’t shy away from also pointing out shortcomings, such as internalized homophobia, sexism, and classism. It’s a good reminder that historic figures are three-dimensional and complicated; we shouldn’t flatten them out into idealized icons.

None of these essays dive very deep into their subjects, but at the end, Johnson includes a bibliography of the sources they used for their own research, giving the reader ample opportunity to go learn more about anyone who captured their interest.

I’m glad I purchased a physical copy of Flamboyants. For one thing, the book is slightly larger than my tablet, and the paintings are two pages each, so it’s nice to be able to view them as the artist intended, rather than shrunk and separated to fit my screen. For another, with book bans and anti-DEI efforts raging across the country, I think it’s a good idea to have physical copies of books by LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC authors (and other people of marginalized identities) on hand, just in case they’re removed from libraries and digital shops.

If you can, I definitely recommend picking up a physical copy for yourself and/or for any teens you know who enjoy reading. Even better, I think this would be a great book for teens and guardians to read together, so that you can discuss each profiled person, whether the grown-ups already knew about them, how their work influenced today’s artists and thinkers, and more. And remember, if you can, please please please support an independent bookstore, either by ordering from them directly or through bookshop.org.

CWs and TWs: Everything I’m about to list was discussed in what I felt like was a teen-appropriate way, and nothing was lingered on for too long. Homophobia, child abuse/neglect, racism, colorism, classism, and fatphobia.

Source and format: I purchased a hardcover copy from Nook & Cranny.

Reading Challenge Prompts

Nook & Cranny (Card 2): For a Short Attention Span. I found that each essay in this book only took me a few minutes to read. For those who find that a lot of history books are too dense or involve lengthy chapters that may be hard to focus on (or make time for), this book should be a fun and enjoyable introduction to some Black queer history.

Physical TBR: This is the first physical book I finished in 2025, and I bought it last year, so it qualifies for my physical TBR challenge! For this book I chose to donate to Lavender Rights Project. According to their website, “Lavender Rights Project (LRP) elevates the power, autonomy, and leadership of the Black intersex & gender diverse community through intersectional legal and social services. We utilize the law as an organizing principle to affirm our civil rights and self-determination.” This felt like the perfect charity to donate to in honor of the queer Black icons highlighted in this book.

Click here to learn more about my donation plans for 2025’s Physical TBR Challenge.

Reading Challenge Progress

Nook & Cranny (Card 1): 2 of 25, no bingos.

Nook & Cranny (Card 2): 6 of 25, no bingos.

Book Riot: 3 of 25.

Physical TBR: 1 of 12.

Brick & Mortar: 9 of 25, 0 bingos*.
*I’ve completed several of the non-reading prompts, hence the mismatch with the number of reviews!

World of Whimm: 3 of 24, no bingos.