I Was, Am Will Be

I Was, Am, Will Be is a short work collection that follows the past, present, and future of twenty-five-year-old Jonah Tarver, a Black-American man facing a crisis of identity and purpose. After coping with a dying father, an abrupt breakup, and the sudden end of his teaching job, Jonah finds himself in search of healing and answers.

Leaving behind the familiar confines of America, Jonah embarks on a three-month journey through Spain, Greece, France, and Amsterdam. As Jonah immerses himself in the rich European landscapes and cultures, will he confront the ghosts of his past or succumb to the uncertainties of his future?

J.R. Rice is a Black man, award-winning author, English teacher, event organizer, filmmaker, musician, mentor, and professional spoken word artist, born and raised in Oakland, California. His debut coming-of-age novel, Broken Pencils earned the 2024 Literary Titan Gold Book Award, 2024 Pencraft Summer Best Book Award winner for Young Adult Coming of Age Fiction, and the 2024 Hawthorne Prize Finalist for Best Fiction. His poetry collection, I WAS, AM, WILL BE was a Semi-Finalist for the 2023 St. Lawrence Book Award from Black Lawrence Press.In addition to his writing accolades, Rice earned the Rookie of the Year award at the 2005 National Collegiate Poetry Slam in Philadelphia. He was a Semi-Finalist in the 2023 Berkeley Poetry Slam Finals. He was one of the judges for the 2025 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate. He is one of the organizers of the 2026 Beast Crawl Literary Festival in Oakland. He currently hosts and curates the Get-Hype Open-Mic biweekly series at Discover Community Cafe in West Oakland. To learn more about J.R. Rice, visit www.jrrice.com