“ A poignant reminder that behind the tragic headlines there are families learning to live with grief in the public eye and then, sometimes even harder, continuing to live with it once the public has stopped paying attention. When is it worth reopening the wounds and how do we live with the scars? Thank you, TJ. ”

“ A moving story of coping with tragedy and struggle as the pain of grief rises to the surface. Well done. ”

“ Complex, timely, and poignant, DARK SKINNED PAVEMENT is an incredibly thoughtful piece that deftly balances the juxtaposition of personal grief with public tragedy. Young draws the reader into this family's personal crisis inches at a time, revealing morsels of plot that add up to a staggering final moment that is both triumphant and tragic. Highly recommended! ”

“ A powerful and poignant examination of the fallout of police violence, and of the different ways people grieve, process, linger, or move on from such violence. Each of the characters in this piece is vividly rendered, and I appreciated the sense of love and familiarity that pervaded the piece. Young does such an excellent job of painting the portrait of a constellation of closely-knit people whose lives and relationships have been disrupted by grief. The interjecting scenes with Martell and the final performance of his poem added a beautiful layer of theatrical magic and potency. Excellent! ”