Outskirts Press Announces the Publication of "Who I Am," a New Book of Poetry Gives an Uncompromising Look at the Soul of a Woman

Detroit, MI, June 24, 2007 --(PR.com)-- With an almost rap-like cadence at times, Who I Am: A Young Black Poet takes its readers on a very personal journey with a young woman who is not afraid to confront or question. Author Tonya Sims’ book of poetry is a powerfully written work, not based solely on her own experiences, but what others close to her have gone through as well. Whether in examination of painful or challenging circumstances, the language of her poetry is as direct as it is passionate—for example, when facing off with one for whom respect has been lost, as in the poem “Don’t (Part 2)”:

“Didn’t I tell you I don’t want to be bothered with you anymore
Yes I did, and now you’re standing at my door
What has to happen to get through to you
That I don’t want anything to do with you
Save your lies and your tears
I don’t want to hear about your fears
You should have thought about that then
Maybe then I would have listened …”

Who I Am is a thoughtful book of modern poetry, written by one who is unafraid to reveal life’s innermost longings, whether when addressing a need for love, the pain of a love lost, or a love that has never been known.

From “Dear Daddy”:
“…Your last three months
I should have if I could have
Spent with you
Just so you would know
That I never stopped loving you
Yes I know I didn’t know who you were
But it didn’t matter to me
All I needed to know was that
You were my daddy.”

Tonya L. Sims is a 29-year-old woman who began writing poetry when she was only nine. Her inspiration, she says, came from reading Langston Hughes’s poem “Dream Deferred,” as well as from the writings of Maya Angelou and Gwendolyn Brooks. “My dream was to one day publish my own poetry. In Who I Am, you will find a collection of my poems written from age sixteen to the present. I hope it will help you deal with whatever you may be going through, and to know that you are not alone.”

Book Statistics
ISBN(s): 1432704796
Retail Price(s): U.S. $12.95; CAN $15.95
Size and Format(s): 5 x 8 paperback
Page count: 56
Availability: Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, www.outskirts.com/whoiam

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