Another Word for Love

A Memoir

By: Carvell Wallace

Narrated by: Carvell Wallace

Kirkus Prize Finalist, 2024

Long-listed, Time Magazine Best Books of the Year, 2024

This program is read by the author.

“Carvell Wallace narrates his beautiful memoir with poignant urgency-- and a whole lot of love…His voice, like his prose, has a poetic cadence. At times, his narration seems to fly, reaching higher and higher before culminating in an emotional crescendo.”—AudioFile

A transformative memoir that reimagines the conventions of love and posits a radical vision for healing.

In Another Word for Love, Carvell Wallace excavates layers of his own history, situated in the struggles and beauty of growing up Black and queer in America.

Wallace is an award-winning journalist who has built his career on writing unforgettable profiles, bringing a provocative and engaged sensitivity to his subjects. Now he turns the focus on himself, examining his own life and the circumstances that frame it—to make sense of seeking refuge from homelessness with a young single mother, living in a ghostly white Pennsylvania town, becoming a partner and parent, raising two teenagers in what feels like a collapsing world.

With courage, vulnerability, and a remarkable expansiveness of spirit—not to mention a thrilling, and unrivaled, storytelling verve—Another Word for Love makes an irresistible case for life, healing, the fullness of our humanity, and, of course, love. It could be called a theory of life itself—a theory of being that will leave you open to the wonder of the world.

A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

©2024 Carvell Wallace (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Intricate and exhilarating . . . An exquisite, soulful must-read."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Another Word for Love recounts a life marked by profound uncertainty—mother, home, self as ephemeral as fog. And yet out of this morass emerges Carvell Wallace’s voice, clear and sharp as glass—and this book of uncommon brilliance and grace. A classic is born.”—Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television

“One of the most soulfully crafted memoirs I’ve ever read. I couldn’t figure out how Carvell Wallace blurred time, region, care, and sexuality into something so different from anything I’ve read before"—Kiese Laymon, author of Long Division

Ring of truth

More than anything- the compelling if sometimes brutal subject matter, the gorgeous evocative poetry of his use of language, the hopefulness without saccharine naivete, what I love most about Wallace’s writing is how it just seems like the truth of the matter. I find myself feeling like I am sitting next to him on his ride, and even though his life experience is very different from my own, I find myself nodding along and thinking, yes, yes that is just the exact way of things. His writing is a gift, and hearing him read this book creates a sense of intimacy that strangely makes it seem like it’s a gift just for me, which is silly but I’m guessing is a common reaction. Thank you, thank you for this book.

Raw and Honest

Passionate , nurturing and honest. Another Word For Love had Beautiful words that were wonderfully spoken . Wonderful

This. Book. Pure. Poetry.

Every word is full of heart and to hear in the authors voice….His beautiful soul shines through.

Top 10 book of my life

Carvell Wallace’s writing is painfully good. He moved from describing childhood events to wisdom so deep and redemptive I had to gasp and pause the book. Immediately going back to listen to this again. Dumbfounded. Well done. This is a masterpiece. Belongs right next to bell hooks.

Vulnerability, accountability, queerness and love while black in America

Wow. I devoured this memoir in two days. I couldn't stop listening. Carvell Wallace's voice is buttery and smooth. His writing is stunning, gracious, open hearted, giving and beautiful. Each word feels carefully chosen and held and loved in a manner appropriate to the book's subject matter. What a life lived! I cried and laughed, I stayed in the moment with him as he experienced embarrassment, fear, rage, getting turned on and turned inside out. He is an alchemist. He turns pain into love and makes his life mean love. I got to step into his shoes and experience his life with him and it was honor to do so. I experienced disappointment as the book ended. This isn't an easy read. There's hard stuff in here, but the healing journey is profound and what an honor he shared his, this far, with us. It's a triumph. Truly.

Moving thoughtful book

So elegantly written. Descriptive in a way that makes me realize I’m missing many details in this big messy and beautiful world.

His honesty

I don’t wish to review this or judge it or put like a figure to it because it was beautiful, raw, and his story. It’s not mine to tell or rewrite or define. I felt with him through this audio and had points where I felt like he saw me even though that could not have been the case at all but he articulated his experiences to where I could feel them and resonate with them as well.
I think there are many words other than love that could be used but like Carvell noted , that sometimes love is found in acts that make us feel love.

Poetic

Im not much for reviews , but the way I LOVED this book. ❤️Absolutely beautifully written and captivating. I look forward to future books by Carvell.

Stunning work - must read

Gorgeous, heartbreaking, life affirming memoir. I’m looking forward to reading and re-reading and re-reading this work.

Magnificent

Beautiful, vulnerable memoir filled with pain, wisdom, and every version of love.

Wallace’s skills as a poet come through in his reading of the story - his cadence/rhythm brings an extra dimension to this work.

Strongly recommend.