Letters to My Dead Name

<p>Richard struggled for much of his life with a mystery. Why was he uneasy and uncomfortable? Why did he feel like an imposter? In his sixties he made a discovery that would change his life and his creative work. He realized that his life as a man did not fit with who he knew himself to be. He began the journey of transition that led him to emerge in his San Francisco community as Richelle Lee leaving Richard behind.</p><p></p><p>This powerful book of poems by Richelle is a magnificent collection of metrical poetry that gifts the reader with honest passion and delightful good humor. Richelle Lee Slota's poems open themselves to the world in private and public letters that dare to test a society full of hate and division. These letters/poems are stronger than the terror and rejection the writer faces. The beauty of her rhythm and her emotional honesty--and Richelle's dazzling technical energy--reach out to anyone seeking optimism and hope and provide nourishment. Catch the cis-brained psyches' sober iambs/write thrumming clever like a cleaver transgender tie-ins Richelle writes. See the gifted person who has discarded her dead name and be captivated enlarged and changed by this writer of unique and moving poetry who courageously signs her new name to every poem.</p>