A Thousand Ways to Die

The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America

By: Trymaine Lee

Narrated by: Trymaine Lee

A deeply personal exploration of the generational impact of guns on the Black experience in America. This program is read by the author.

A few years ago, Trymaine Lee, though fit and only 38, nearly died of a heart attack. When his then five-year-old daughter, Nola, asked her daddy why, he realized that to answer her honestly, he had to confront what almost killed him—the weight of being a Black man in America; of bearing witness, as a journalist, to relentless Black death; and of a family history scarred by enslavement, lynching, the Great Migration, the also insidious racism of the North, and gun violence that stole the lives of two great-uncles, a grandfather, a stepbrother, and two cousins.

In this powerful narrative, Lee weaves together three strands: the long and bloody history of African Americans and guns; his work as a chronicler of gun violence, tallying the costs and riches generated by both the legal and illegal gun industries; and his own life story. With unflinching honesty he takes readers on a journey, from almost being caught up in gun violence as a young man, to tracing the legacy of the Middle Passage in Ghana through his ancestors’ footsteps, to confronting the challenges of representing his people in an overwhelmingly white and often hostile media world, and most importantly, to celebrating the enduring strength of his family and community.

In A Thousand Ways to Die, Lee answers Nola and all who seek a more just America. He shares the hard truths and complexities of the Black experience, but he also celebrates the beauty and resilience that is Nola’s legacy.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

Critic reviews

<p>"A provocative and informative read that expertly blends memoir with hard-hitting reporting." <br><i>—<b>Kirkus</b></i><br><i><br>A Thousand Ways to Die</i> is a trenchant examination of how the personal intersects with the political, of the too-often high tolls of living Black in America. Trymaine’s extraordinary journey is also a vital lesson on the healing power of sharing whole truths with our posterity. <br>—<b>Mitchell S. Jackson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize<br><br></b>"A poetic, political, and powerful work—purposefully written to resonate with both today and the future." <br>—<b>Shaka Senghor, bestselling author of <i>Writing My Wrongs, Letters to the Sons of Society</i> and <i>How to be Free </i></b><br><br><i>A Thousand Ways to Die</i> is a historical and literary gift. In juxtaposing his family history and personal trauma with the bloody and painful history of gun violence in America, Trymaine Lee has crafted a brilliant narrative of generational struggle, hope, and resilience. This riveting blend of memoir, reportage, and history reveals how, for Black families, the heartbreak that accompanies premature death can engender healing only if we honor our stories and, in so doing, help to change the world.” <br>—<b>Peniel Joseph, LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Department of History, the University of Texas at Austin<br></b><br>"What more can be said about gun violence in the United States? In "A Thousand Ways to Die," Trymaine Lee unearths an untold story about the ways the weapon has altered the geography, physiology and psychology of African Americans in a work that is deep, revelatory and readable. " <br>—<b>Robert Samuels, co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "His Name is George Floyd"<br></b><br>“We all know Trymaine Lee as a prescient and powerful storyteller of Black life. With this book, he promises to bring his truth-telling which captivates us on screen to even deeper elaboration and insight on the page.”<br>—<b>Imani Perry, author of <i>South to America</i>, National Book Award Award winner, Henry A. Morss, Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University.<br><br></b>“It takes a special kind of fearlessness to stare deeply into the dark corners of our world and our history and candidly relay what you’ve found there. Trymaine Lee possesses it in abundance. There’s no one better equipped to tell the story he chronicles here — and no one I trust more to get it right.” <br>—<b>Jelani Cobb, Dean, Columbia Journalism School</b></p>

Great story and language

He is so smart and inspiring. Wow, can he write!!! And he is so right about what really matters!

Hard but necessary knowledge.

I thought he put everything together. That built a case for change and thought. The impact of gun violence on our community. But his final thought at end brought it all together for me.

Broken

I was born in 1959 on the Southeast side of Chicago. I lived on the Southeast side of Chicago until I turned 18, when I left home for a career calling to me. I didn’t live on the South or West sides of the city but was regularly reminded by my parents of the bad parts of town. I listened to this book and often realized my mouth was wide open, aghast that I grew up in the city of Chicago, a city I love. I had no idea the reality of this city, the horrors black people were living. I was so sheltered!

This book is incredibly heartbreaking and has been tremendously esucational for me. I don’t understand why our elected leaders do nothing. Well, I actually do understand. Money. It’s all about money…and power.

I titled this review broken for several reasons…partly because the book left me heart broken…and I’m white. I don’t know how to help make a difference. So much is broken. Thank you, Trymaine, for putting your heart and soul into this story, for putting a big piece of you out there for us. A must read for everyone who cares about our country, about black lives, about addressing the gun crisis that defines America.

Exceptional Writing

Trymaine Lee is an exceptional writer with a rare gift for painting vivid pictures through his words. His writing doesn’t just speak to you — it allows you to see, feel, and experience every moment he describes.

The rawness of the devastation wrought by our unfettered gun culture.

I was moved by the story telling of how much race continues to burden the existence of Black people in America.