"Like his mentors, Patricia Smith and Rigoberto Gonzalez, Saeed writes poems that are lyrical, playful, musical, and political. It troubles expectations and asks the reader to challenge their assumptions about Blackness, sexuality, and socioeconomics. Saeed is responding here to white supremacy, heteronormativity, respectability politics, and the murders of Black people. In the service of equity and peace, Saeed elevates the matters that keep him up at night. If Prelude was a jettisoning of the oppressive structures Saeed experienced during his upbringing, ALIVE is a reminder that the work goes on, that freedom and equity are inextricably linked. In fact, a character from Prelude, known as Boy, carries through into ALIVE, which continues his work in Prelude with a maturity of perspective and more weariness. This is a work that examines the nuances of grief--the grief over lost family members and lost loves; the grief of white supremacy and the myth of safety from homophobia, anti-blackness, gun violence; the grief of covid"-- Provided by publisher

Alive at the End of the Worldp. 1 -- Alive at the End of the World p. 5 -- A Memory p. 6 -- That's Not Snow, It's Ash p. 7 -- If You Had an Off Button, I'd Name You "Off" p. 8 -- A Song for the Status Quo p. 13 -- All I Gotta Do Is Stay Black and Die p. 14 -- It's 1975 and Paul Mooney Says "Nigger" a Hundred Times p. 15 -- Deleted Voice Message: Hey, Robyn-It's Me, Whitney p. 17 -- Grief #213 p. 18 -- Saeed, or The Other One: I p. 19 -- Alive at the End of the World p. 25 -- Saeed, How Dare You Make Your Mother into a Prelude p. 27 -- Saeed Wonders If the Poem You Just Read Would've Been Better Served by a Different Title p. 28 -- Heritage p. 29 -- After the School Board Meeting p. 30 -- Black Ice p. 31 -- Trial p. 32 -- Gravity p. 34 -- Aretha Franklin Hears an Echo While Singing "Save Me" p. 35 -- Diahann Carroll Takes a Bath at the Beverly Hills Hotel p. 37 -- Grief #913 p. 38 -- Saeed, or the Other One: II p. 39 -- Alive at the End of the World p. 45 -- "Sorry as in Pathetic" p. 46 -- A Stranger p. 47 -- Okay, One More Story p. 48 -- Okay, One More Story p. 49 -- Date Night p. 50 -- Essential American Worker p. 52 -- Against Progeny p. 53 -- A Difficult Love Song for Luther Vandross p. 54 -- Little Richard Listens to Pat Boone Sing "Tutti Frutti" p. 56 -- Grief #346 p. 57 -- Saeed, or The Other One: III p. 58 -- Alive at the End of the World p. 63 -- Extinction p. 64 -- Everything Is Dying, Nothing Is Dead p. 65 -- A Spell to Banish Grief p. 66 -- Dead Dozens p. 67 -- After Watching a Video of Cicely Tyson Singing a Hymn, I Realize I Wasn't a Good Grandson p. 68 -- Performing as Miss Calypso, Maya Angelou Dances Whenever She Forgets the Lyrics, which Billie Holiday, Seated in the Audience, Finds Annoying p. 69 -- At 84 Years Old, Toni Morrison Wonders If She's Depressed p. 70 -- All I Gotta Do Is Stay Black and Die (Apocalyptic Remix) p. 71 -- Grief #1 p. 72 -- Saeed, or The Other One: IV p. 73.