Beginning in poverty and a broken home, Wesley McNair went on, through family hardships and setbacks, to become what poet Philip Levine has called “one of the great storytellers of contemporary poetry.” This memoir tells how he developed into a poet against the odds, incorporating his struggles into his art.
"Readers...will root for the author as a young persona... [The book’s] denoument is stunning... "
- Kirkus Reviews
"Recommended to memoir connoisseurs and lovers of contemporary poetry alike; the unflinching candor sets this one apart. "
- Library Journal
"The Words I Chose...is a standout. "
- The Concord (NH) Monitor
A "spellbinding tale....deeply evocative...fascinating."
- The Maine Sunday Telegram
A "superb memoir... This is a story about hope, how when it is necessary to survive...truth and beauty can not only survive, but thrive. With nobility and grace, Powerfully. "
- Philip Schultz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Failure
