Lazarus

Lazarus is a novel by Rashid Darden. It was published in 2005 by Old Gold Soul Press.'' ''

Lazarus is the first novel by the author. It is the story of Adrian Collins, an African American and gay sophomore attending fictitious Potomac University in Washington, DC. Adrian was abandoned by his father and raised by a mother who he considers to be emotionally aloof. In what may be perceived as an attempt to fill this void, he spends his first year in college devloping a passion for social justice and black consciousness. In the process, he develops a close bond with Nina Bradley. At the beginning of Lazarus, she is the only person who knows that Adrian is gay.

While Adrian is surrounded by many attractive men with much going for them, such as basketball player Isaiah Aiken and NAACP president Micah Warner, he still experiences a profound loneliness because it appears that all of them men he is attracted to have girlfriends or are otherwise heterosexual.

Adrian soon meets Savion Cortez, a Dominican-American from New York who is a senior at Potomac and a talented poet. In a whirlwind romance, Adrian and Savion soon become a couple. Though Adrian still struggles with the notion of coming out on campus, Savion stands by him.

Their relationship is soon tested when Adrian pursues membership in Beta Chi Phi Fraternity. It is a brotherhood of black and latino men, committed to social justice and community service, to which Adrian's father, Adam Collins, is also a member.

As Adrian goes deeper into the pledge process, he forms bonds with his line brothers and some chapter members, while fearing the wrath of others. He experiences deep and meaningful moments alongside severe hazing. Cognizant of these events, Savion urgers Adrian to walk away from the process.

Before the end of the novel, Adrian is ultimately forced to choose between his boyfriend and the brotherhood.

Lazarus received generally positive reviews from Amazon.com reviewers and in various blogs and newsletters. The small, yet devoted band of supporters of Lazarus helped Rashid Darden to win a literature award from the now defunct Clik Magazine.

The follow-up to Lazarus is Covenant.