By Inner City News Staff
Arthur L. Jenkins’
CONNECTICUT — A new work of literary fiction is giving readers an intimate look at the complicated intersections of identity, family, trauma and survival.
Arthur L. Jenkins’ The Prince of Brown: A Fictional Memoir, published by Atmosphere Press on April 17, 2026, follows Denzel Davis through a life marked by family secrets, generational trauma, questions of identity, love, mental illness and the search for self-acceptance. The 372-page paperback is priced at $19.95 on Amazon.com. Thriftbooks, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Queerbooks.com, and Goodreads carry the book as well.
The novel centers on Denzel, a Black queer man navigating multiple worlds—including academia, incarceration and the ballroom scene—as he confronts the challenges of being seen and understood while attempting to define himself on his own terms.
Jenkins’ story moves beyond trauma to explore healing and self-reinvention. According to the book’s description, Denzel ultimately reclaims his story and embraces the title of the “Prince of Brown,” a symbol of endurance, truth and the beauty that can emerge from survival.
The novel’s themes are particularly relevant to conversations taking place in communities across Connecticut and beyond, where questions surrounding race, LGBTQ+ identity, mental health, family and belonging continue to shape the experiences of many residents.
Rather than presenting survival simply as overcoming hardship, Jenkins examines the complicated process of turning painful experiences into a source of strength and personal identity. The narrative addresses what the author describes as the “dual burden of invisibility and hypervisibility” experienced by Black queer men.
From Psychology to Creative Writing
Jenkins brings an interdisciplinary background to his storytelling. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Widener University and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Gwynedd Mercy University. He also completed an academic creative writing certificate at the Community College of Philadelphia, where he was a multiple-time winner of the Judith Stark Writing Contest.
That combination of psychology, counseling and creative writing informs a novel that places emotional and psychological experience at the center of its narrative.
For readers, The Prince of Brown offers more than a story about one man’s struggles. It is a meditation on what it means to inherit pain, confront it and ultimately decide what parts of one’s history will define the future.
Jenkins’ novel may also provide an opportunity for book clubs, educators, community organizations and readers to engage in conversations about identity, resilience, mental health and the importance of telling stories that have historically received limited representation.
Book Details
Title: The Prince of Brown: A Fictional Memoir
Author: Arthur L. Jenkins
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Publication date: April 17, 2026
Format: Paperback
Pages: 372
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 979-8-90174-116-0
ASIN: B0GS7F5QLY
For media inquiries or information about interviews and author appearances, Jenkins can be reached at arthurjenkins010@gmail.com. Check out Jenkins’s Black-Gay-Writers-and-Readers.com for upcoming events and blog posts.
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