Gone Before Dawn – Expected Ship Date: January 13, 2025

Gone Before Dawn is a poignant collection of poems that captures the untold stories of young Black males whose lives were tragically cut short by senseless violence. Inspired by the deeply personal and heartbreaking experience of author Nick J. Gouché, whose brother Victor was left paralyzed after a brutal shooting, this book is a heartfelt tribute to the countless families who have lost their sons, brothers, and friends too soon.

On November 17, 2005, Nick’s family was forever changed when Victor, at just 19 years old, was shot five times and left to die. Miraculously, Victor survived, but his life was irreversibly altered. Raised by a single, hardworking mother, Nick and Victor shared an unbreakable bond, dreaming of a better future through their love of basketball. Victor’s promising athletic career was tragically cut short, leaving the family to navigate the immense challenges of his new reality.

In Gone Before Dawn, Nick channels his grief and hope into powerful poetry, shining a light on the often overlooked epidemic of inner city violence. Each poem serves as a tribute to the young Black men who will never see their dreams fulfilled, offering solace to the grieving families left behind. These poems give voice to the untold stories of those who will never make the nightly news, emphasizing the stark reality that while police violence against unarmed Black men garners attention and outrage, the far more prevalent inner city violence often goes unnoticed.