My writing is a reflection of the life I’ve lived—
marked by hardship, military service, systemic injustice, and an unshakable faith in God. Whether through poetry or personal narrative, I share the truths I’ve witnessed and the strength it took to survive. These words come from experience, from the heart, and from a place of hope.
My Books
I IRS (My Hell of Life)
I IRS (My Hell of Life) is a gripping memoir that traces the real-life journey of a Black man navigating the harsh realities of racism, military life, and public service in America. James M. Moten shares a powerful account of his upbringing in the segregated South, his years of service in the U.S. military, and his time working for the IRS—all against a backdrop of systemic injustice and personal hardship.
Told with raw honesty and deep conviction, this book reveals the emotional and spiritual toll of enduring prejudice while holding tightly to faith in God. It’s a story of survival, truth, and resilience—written by a man who has lived through it all and emerged with a message that demands to be heard.
I The Black Poet Comes
I, The Black Poet Comes is a bold and unapologetic collection of poems written across decades—poems born from struggle, reflection, and survival. With powerful language drawn from lived experience, James M. Moten captures the pain of injustice, the complexity of identity, and the endurance of the human spirit.
These poems speak with the rhythm of the streets and the depth of spiritual conviction. From the scars of racism to the quiet strength found in faith, each piece offers a raw, honest look into a life shaped by challenge and resilience. This is more than poetry—it’s testimony.
I IRS (My Hell of Life)
Author: James M. Moten
Rating: Gold
A raw and unflinching memoir of survival, resilience, and faith against unimaginable odds.
James M. Moten’s I IRS (My Hell of Life) is a powerful testimony of endurance through systemic racism, poverty, violence, and personal tragedy. From his early years in Crockett, Texas—marked by the brutality of segregation and the ever-present threat of the Ku Klux Klan—to his eventual career at the IRS, Moten’s journey is a portrait of perseverance carved out of struggle.
The memoir unfolds with startling honesty, weaving together stories of family hardship, systemic injustice, military service, and battles against discrimination within federal institutions. Moten recounts moments of horror and loss, but also resilience, faith, and the guiding influence of his mother’s teachings. Through these experiences, the book captures not only one man’s survival but also the larger truth of how racism, inequality, and adversity shape generations.
Moten’s narrative voice is direct and heartfelt, drawing readers into both the pain and the triumph of his life. While his recollections are harrowing, they are balanced by messages of strength, hope, and gratitude to God for the angels—of every race and background—who stepped in along the way. The result is a memoir that is at once deeply personal and universally resonant, offering readers both an unfiltered look at America’s painful realities and an inspiring example of the human spirit’s capacity to endure.
I IRS (My Hell of Life) receives the Gold Seal for its fearless storytelling, emotional depth, and unshakable message of resilience. It stands as a memoir that not only reveals the harsh truths of systemic injustice but also uplifts through faith, perseverance, and the courage to survive.
I The Black Poet Comes
Author: James M. Moten
Rating: Gold
I THE BLACK POET COMES is a bold, unapologetic symphony of life, pain, love, and Black identity, delivered through verse that stirs the soul and commands remembrance.
James M. Moten’s I THE BLACK POET COMES is a powerful poetic anthology that merges personal reflections with sharp commentary on the Black American experience. Across 32 poems, Moten captures the essence of lived hardship, resilience, cultural pride, and deep familial love. Written in the language of the streets, the verses are raw and unfiltered—anchored in decades of real emotion and social awareness.
The collection opens with a vibrant tribute in “The Planet Soul,” celebrating cultural legends like James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and others as soul-stirring forces of identity and pride. This cultural reverence runs parallel to poems like “Slave,” a haunting depiction of generational trauma, and “God Please Dam the Pusher Man,” a fiery plea against drug addiction and its destruction of lives and communities. In “Everybody’s Going Crazy,” Moten diagnoses the social unraveling of America with brutal honesty.
He writes deeply and tenderly of his mother, Arlishie Harris Moten, in “Mother Where Art Thou” and “I Would Hear My Mother Cry,” both testaments to maternal strength and spiritual resilience. The theme continues with “Dedication to the Black Women of the World,” affirming Black womanhood as sacred and enduring.
Love—its loss, longing, and redemption—is also central. “I Fell in Love with the Woman Who Worked the Block” and “Please Don’t Come Tomorrow” are filled with vulnerability, capturing the hope and heartache of romantic relationships shaped by real-life struggles.
What makes Moten’s work stand out is its voice: conversational, heartfelt, and often unvarnished. These are not polished, abstract poems—they are lived-in expressions, driven by emotion more than form. The effect is immediate and personal, like a one-on-one storytelling session.
I THE BLACK POET COMES stands as a resonant, unfiltered window into a life shaped by struggle, survival, and spirit. For its emotional depth, cultural authenticity, and unflinching truth, this collection earns the Gold Seal distinction.
