This is a little bit different from what we normally post. This coming January, author J.J. Anselmi is releasing a novel called The Dirt In Our Skin. It’s a book centered around the mid-school BMX trail scene on the East Coast. Check out the synopsis below.
Synopsis: When Ryan and Jason discover the destructive beauty of freestyle BMX, it’s a definitive before-and-after moment for them. The two riders gravitate to the freedom and raw aggression of trail riding as a way of coping with their tumultuous home lives: Ryan’s domineering father and Jason’s father’s suicide.
The boys prove themselves within the exclusive East Coast BMX scene. They’re drawn deeper into the culture when they fall in with a group of older pros who are part of a subterranean world of bisexuality and sadistic humor. As Ryan and Jason fight to preserve their relationship, they must navigate their own emerging sexuality and feelings for one another. The death-drive urge to ride massive jumps makes perfect sense to them, but life outside of riding spills over at the edges.
The Dirt in Our Skin is a coming-of-age novel and artistic tribute to an activity that’s more lifestyle than sport. It’s a book of blurred lines: between friendship and love, humor and abuse, art and sport, fiction and nonfiction, and much more.
If you’re interested in pre ordering a signed copy go here. To pre order on amazon go here.
Video edited by Zach Krejmas. Riding by Josh Stroud.




