The Lost Songs of Nina Simone

Shonda Buchanan weaves a prism of language, sound and light around and through the life of concert pianist, singer and Civil Rights activist, the incomprehensible Nina Simone. With this book, Buchanan is declaring this The Century of the Black Woman, providing a realistic glimpse into not only Simone's life, but the lives of Black women in America, past and present, and their choices in a myopic, unforgiving country. A grandchild of enslaved Africans, American Indians and Irish migrants, born into poverty as Eunice Waymon in a traditionally large family, Nina Simone lived a life few Black American women lived during the Jim Crow era in the South, yet rose to ultimately impact the world with her creative genius and determined spirit. This book is both an emotional and historical excavation of an artist's life, capturing the rise and descent of that life, including Simone's family history, her childhood and young womanhood, as well as the addiction, mental health struggles and abuse. The Lost Songs of Nina Simone embodies the rich legacy --- the pleats between the cloth --- of Simone's artistry, beauty, self-immolation and rage.

For the last 25 years, award-winning author Shonda Buchanan (Black Indian, Equipoise: Poems from Goddess Country, Who's Afraid of Black Indians?) has been on the hunt for Nina Simone and the impact of the icon's life, work and artistry on the world. This search has culminated in The Lost Songs of Nina Simone. The poems collected in the book are a case of inquiry into Simone's Civil Rights work, her personal and professional struggles and sacrifices, as well as the world's adoration, condemnation and worship. For more information, visit http: www.shondabuchanan.com and @shondabuchanan.