Malachi Byrd’s Before We Gone is a ruthlessly loving depiction of childhood and early maturity in Washington, D.C. It is easy to enjoy the humor, rhythms, and creativity in these poems navigating loss and self-understanding.
Before We Gone is set for release October 11, 2025. Books purchased before that date will ship on that date.
“Before We Gone positions anger beside humor and pedagogy between prayer, carrying a promise that poetry is both love and liberation.” — Tony Keith, author of How the Boogeyman Became a Poet
“A stunning collection” — Nico Penaranda, poet and educator
“Malachi Byrd is a poet of tremendous gifts” — Christopher Jon Heuer, author of Bug and All Your Parts Intact: Poems
“You feel it after you read it, you know, like those temple bells that keep reverberating after their sound.” — Grace Cavalieri, Maryland’s Tenth Poet Laureate
Malachi Byrd is the 2025 winner of the DC Poet Project, a competition that identifies and supports exceptional poets. The artist known as MalPractice is a poet, teacher, battle rapper, and songwriter, from the District of Columbia. He is the former youth Poet Laureate of Washington, D.C. and a graduate of Princeton University. A full-time artist, the author has taught in over 100 schools in the DMV.
Cover art for the book is (c) Terence Nicholson, used by permission.