2019 National Book Award Longlist: “Centering on black, female identity, [this is] an exquisite and thoughtful collection.” —Bustle This is about what grows through the wreckage. This is an anthem of survival and a look at what might come after. A view of what floats and what, ultimately, sustains. A finalist for the PEN Open Book Award, Build Yourself a Boat redefines the language of collective and individual trauma through lyric and memory. “With Build Yourself a Boat, Camonghne Felix heralds a thrillingly new form of storytelling.” —Morgan Parker, author of Magical Negro

A first-of-its-kind anthology of hip-hop poetica written for and by the people.

"Boatbuilding in Your Own Backyard" makes building a variety of classic wooden boats accessible to anyone. Using the illustrated instructions in this book, you can truly build a boat-dingy, sailboat or cruiser-in your spare time, in your backyard or garage. Considered the best in its field for over five decades, "Boatbuilding in Your Own Backyard." offers the best practices of boat making processes, designs, concepts, and materials. Written for boat makers of all levels, boatbuilding expert Sam S. Rabl shares a lifetime of knowledge about designing and constructing your own craft, all in a single volume. From wood selection, tools, fastenings, laying down and taking off, framing, making the fits, planking and decking, installing the motor, the cabin, sails, and rigging, to caulking, painting, and more, Rabl guides the amateur boatmaker through every step of the process. The author also shares detailed drawing and guidelines for the construction of eleven boats, including a 14-foot skiff, 15-foot outboard utility, 15-foot sailing cruiser, 18-foot sport fisherman, 24-foot auxiliary cruiser, and several models of an 18-foot outboard tabloid cruiser (an example of which is the world famous Picaroon). "Boatbuilding in Your Own Backyard" is the ideal builder's handbook and is an indispensable guide to good care, safety, and maintenance for every boat owner. Rabl's concise instructions overflow with expert advice that will simplify the job and make your boat build a success "About the Author The son of a shipyard supervisor in Chesapeake Bay, Sam S. Rabl's love and knowledge of boats started very early. His passion was fortified by technical training as a draftsman, naval architect and marine engineer. Sam Rabl was brought to national attention with his unique ability to make boat design understandable for the layman."

A step-by-step instruction manual on how to build a lightweight 'environmentally-friendly' boat with recyclable resources. The boats simply fold up from ¼” thick cardboard obtaining their strength from the geometry of the component parts. The boats are 8-feet long, weigh about 25-pounds, and can accommodate a 250-pound person without risking structural damage. Each boat is constructed with 21-pieces of cardboard that are used to make 7-component parts. The 7 parts are assembled together with 'environmentally-friendly' contact cement and paper drywall tape. Once assembled the boats are sealed with an 'environmentally-friendly' water-based waterproof coating. No special tools are required and they are very simple to build. All of the materials used to build a boat are typically found at 'do-it-yourself' home improvement stores. The boats can be outfitted with 12-volt electric fishing motors, although they are typically propelled with traditional Kayak style paddles.

Jim Howard has cruised the great oceans of the world for over 25 years, often single-handed.