TOMORROW - 12:01 A COLLECTION OF DOCU-POEMS CELEBRATING THE STORIES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY HIV. Paperback – October 14, 2025

Lester Mayers adopts a journalistic approach in his poetry, crafting verses inspired by the real-life stories of those affected by HIV and AIDS. Through a deep exploration of stigmas, poignant suicide notes, thorough court case analyses, heartfelt firsthand accounts, intimate diaries, and detailed police reports, Mayers infuses these narratives with poetic vitality. His work not only combats societal stigmas but also advocates for crucial HIV and AIDS research. Most importantly, it serves as a beacon of hope for anyone facing the virus—whether they themselves are testing positive or supporting a loved one who is. This book stands as a testament to resilience, offering a powerful promise that, no matter the struggles, a brighter Tomorrow is possible if one perseveres.At the time of this publication, this edition is under consideration for the 2026 Pulitzer Prize."Tomorrow 12:01 is not a book—it’s a resurrection. Lester Mayers rips open the silence surrounding HIV, queerness, Blackness, and survival, and dares the reader to look at what bleeds out. Each page trembles with a brutal honesty that makes your hands shake, your throat tighten, your heart split.In the tradition of Sapphire and Essex Hemphill, Mayers crafts a docupoetic landscape that is raw, unflinching, and devastatingly beautiful. He does not ask for pity. He demands presence. He demands that we witness.From hospital beds to bathroom mirrors, from pills to prayers, this collection walks a tightrope between death and the refusal to die. The poems don’t whisper—they scream, they wail, they burn. And in that fire, Mayers finds not just pain, but prophecy.Reading Tomorrow 12:01 is like standing at the edge of the world and choosing, against every odd, to fly. It’s not just literature—it’s a lifeline.Tomorrow lives in these pages. Read them. Feel them. Survive with them." Read more