Robert Jones Jr.

Robert Jones Jr. is an American author who is known for his 2021 debut novel The Prophets which was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction and won the 2022 Edmund White Award. Jones was previously known by his pen name "Son of Baldwin" (referencing author James Baldwin, whom Jones considers an inspiration). Beginning in 2008, he had contributed to his blog, also called Son of Baldwin, in which he discussed topics of race, sexuality, gender and disability. Jones short story "Freedom Is Not for Myself Alone" was included in the anthology The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story.

Early life Jones grew up in Brooklyn, New York City and attended Brooklyn College. He had been developing his first manuscript, The Prophets, for 13 years when he was discovered by author Kiese Laymon, who helped him publish the work. In The New York Times Book Review, poet Danez Smith described the novel as "an often lyrical and rebellious love story embedded within a tender call-out to Black readers, reaching across time and form to shake something old, mighty in the blood." In USA Today, in a four out of four star review, Darryl Robertson wrote: "The Prophets is packed with otherworldly and supremely artful storytelling, and readers will surely get lost in a radiant romance. But most important, Jones adds to the growing body of literature that reimagines slavery." Writing for The New Yorker in a negative review, Lauren Michele Jackson stated that the characters describe their surroundings and circumstances using similar language, so it is difficult to discern who is speaking. Regarding the novel's metaphorical lyrical style, Jackson stated: "But tones of transcendence and glory have a way of obstructing interiority, the lifeblood of the novel". Jackson concluded that the novel "is preoccupied with sifting the sands of time, searching for an authenticity that can’t be retrieved, at the expense of uncovering the connections between people." Writing for The Guardian, Holly Williams stated that the work was "an outstanding novel, delivering tender, close-up intimacy, but also a great sweep of history." But Williams also stated the metaphors sometimes distracted from the narrative.

In 2023, The New York Times listed The Prophets as one of "The 25 Most Influential Works of Postwar Queer Literature".

Social media interaction

Jones posted a tweet on August 18, 2015, that has subsequently (and often) been wrongly attributed to James Baldwin, likely because of the tweet's association with Jones previous pen name "Son of Baldwin". The text read: We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist. Snopes eventually clarified this misattribution on its website in 2024.

Personal life Jones is married to his longtime partner, attorney Adrian Techeira, and currently writes the newsletter Witness.