The Monster I Am Today

“In the urgent spirit of those who have sought to unearth and celebrate the combined wealth of archived, preserved, and inherited histories of African American lives, Kevin Simmonds has produced an intimate, iconic, and wonderfully lyrical accounting of the life and art of Leontyne Price. Simmonds’ gift of well-developed emotional and intellectual artistry allows him, in this collection of luminous poems and revealing prose, to produce a work of great importance and power. By laying bare his own admiration of Price, and by doing so with emotional and intellectual honesty and intimacy, Simmonds tells us why we should value Price. Price is an American treasure of genius and humanity, and in The Monster I Am Today, Simmonds reminds us of his own singular value to American letters.” —Kwame Dawes, author of Nebraska: Poems

“Each of us has a personal diva—or should. Leontyne Price is the greatest singer that our country produced in the 20th century. How fitting that she should continue to receive her flowers while she still dwells among us. Kevin Simmonds’ intelligent and open homage to ‘the god-object of her voice’ is pitch perfect, and a valuable lesson to future singers on how their art functions beyond their control, shaping the life of each listener in profound ways.” —Dante Micheaux, author of Circus