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New American Monarch
"New American Monarch unveils the transformative journey of an individual navigating through the complexities of self-discovery, adversity, and resilience. Through a blend of poignant narratives and vivid poetry, this collection delves into the essence of change, mirroring the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly as a metaphor for human growth amidst profound challenges. New American Monarch resonates with those at the crossroads of identity, offering a reflective and empowering exploration of the struggles and triumphs that define the path to personal evolution. This book is a testament to the beauty of becoming, which we always are, inviting readers to embrace their own journeys of renewal and the profound realizations that accompany the process of transformation." -JAVON JOHNSON, AUTHOR OF KILLING BLACKNESS AND THE MAKING OF SLAM AND SPOKEN WORD COMMUNITIES AND AINT NEVER NOT BEEN BLACK
"Nature is available to us, is family to us, so that we might know ourselves better. Marcel Fable Price knows that to confront is to erupt and to name is to detonate. He brings the chrysalis and the communion wine, a birthing story and a lamentation. With New American Monarch, Fable Price understands and accepts, perhaps even at great risk to himself, that the only way out is through, and that ruptures are foundational to metamorphosis. This book is an invitation to revel." -DOMINIQUE CHRISTINA, AUTHOR / EDUCATOR / CONCEPTUAL INSTALLATION ARTIST
"Marcel uses extended metaphor, both within each piece and across multiple poems, with the grace of a robin landing on a street sign. He explores a multitude of themes in this work, such as grief, gentrification, becoming unapologetic, and detoxifying one's behavior, but he unites them as he explores the topic of change. If the change isn't for the better, it teaches us a lesson, or makes us stronger." -ANTHONY MCPHERSON, POET / DANCER / MUSICIAN / WRITER
"Marcel Fable Price returns with a fresh and inspired collection of poems. In this anthology, Fable delves into his personal evolution, truly living up to his name. This collection is a beacon of innovation, offering readers hope and insightful reflections. It explores the intricacies of confronting the past, embracing the present, and striving for personal growth and evolution." -MASAKI TAKAHASHI MASAKI, 2022-2024 LANSING POET LAUREATE, FOUNDER OF THE POETRY ROOM
"Nature is available to us, is family to us, so that we might know ourselves better. Marcel Fable Price knows that to confront is to erupt and to name is to detonate. He brings the chrysalis and the communion wine, a birthing story and a lamentation. With New American Monarch, Fable Price understands and accepts, perhaps even at great risk to himself, that the only way out is through, and that ruptures are foundational to metamorphosis. This book is an invitation to revel." -DOMINIQUE CHRISTINA, AUTHOR / EDUCATOR / CONCEPTUAL INSTALLATION ARTIST
"Marcel uses extended metaphor, both within each piece and across multiple poems, with the grace of a robin landing on a street sign. He explores a multitude of themes in this work, such as grief, gentrification, becoming unapologetic, and detoxifying one's behavior, but he unites them as he explores the topic of change. If the change isn't for the better, it teaches us a lesson, or makes us stronger." -ANTHONY MCPHERSON, POET / DANCER / MUSICIAN / WRITER
"Marcel Fable Price returns with a fresh and inspired collection of poems. In this anthology, Fable delves into his personal evolution, truly living up to his name. This collection is a beacon of innovation, offering readers hope and insightful reflections. It explores the intricacies of confronting the past, embracing the present, and striving for personal growth and evolution." -MASAKI TAKAHASHI MASAKI, 2022-2024 LANSING POET LAUREATE, FOUNDER OF THE POETRY ROOM
132 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2024
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Marcel Fable Price
2 books5 followersMarcel Fable Price
…is a multi-hyphenate, self-directed, intuitive creative whose primary medium resides somewhere between oratory expression and creative writing. Fable is the 2016 recipient of a Community Advocate Award, 2017 40 Under 40 Honoree, was the 2017-2020 Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids, MI, a 2020 Grand Rapids area Black Businesses “Black Bottom Community Builder” Award winner, 2021 Michigan Humanities Impact Partner of the Year, 2022 Newsmaker of the Year, and was given the “Imagination Award” by the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology in 2023.
Fable was the youngest, first person without a college degree, and the first person of color to hold the title of Poet Laureate in Grand Rapids, MI. His work is a kaleidoscope of personal experiences, crafted into stained glass examples of transformation intended to connect with readers in a painstakingly beautiful way, regardless of their own lived experience. Fable truly believes that the mortar to our humanity is shared experience, and without intentionally searching for ways to connect, our individual gospels will only remain surface hymns.
His work has previously been used by PBS, The Frey Foundation, Mental Health America, and Habitat for Humanity. He has graced the cover of Grand Rapids Magazine, and his poems have appeared in The Missouri Review, Button Poetry, and Write About Now. He has also been a "Month Main Stage" Storyteller, and his poems have been used for the inauguration of state representatives and even a Senate Majority Leader.
Marcel’s first full-length collection New American Monarch is available NOW. This work promises to be a transformative experience, blending poetry, prose, and stories in a way that reflects his unique creative vision.
…is a multi-hyphenate, self-directed, intuitive creative whose primary medium resides somewhere between oratory expression and creative writing. Fable is the 2016 recipient of a Community Advocate Award, 2017 40 Under 40 Honoree, was the 2017-2020 Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids, MI, a 2020 Grand Rapids area Black Businesses “Black Bottom Community Builder” Award winner, 2021 Michigan Humanities Impact Partner of the Year, 2022 Newsmaker of the Year, and was given the “Imagination Award” by the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology in 2023.
Fable was the youngest, first person without a college degree, and the first person of color to hold the title of Poet Laureate in Grand Rapids, MI. His work is a kaleidoscope of personal experiences, crafted into stained glass examples of transformation intended to connect with readers in a painstakingly beautiful way, regardless of their own lived experience. Fable truly believes that the mortar to our humanity is shared experience, and without intentionally searching for ways to connect, our individual gospels will only remain surface hymns.
His work has previously been used by PBS, The Frey Foundation, Mental Health America, and Habitat for Humanity. He has graced the cover of Grand Rapids Magazine, and his poems have appeared in The Missouri Review, Button Poetry, and Write About Now. He has also been a "Month Main Stage" Storyteller, and his poems have been used for the inauguration of state representatives and even a Senate Majority Leader.
Marcel’s first full-length collection New American Monarch is available NOW. This work promises to be a transformative experience, blending poetry, prose, and stories in a way that reflects his unique creative vision.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 23, 2024
New American Monarch by Marcel Fable Price
Review by Dianne Borsenik
Marcel Fable Price’s New American Monarch, his first full-length collection, is a delightfully immersive experience, one to be slowly taken in, not consumed all at once.
New American Monarch, subtitled An Introverted Caterpillar’s Guide to Becoming an Introverted Butterfly, presents his life experiences in stages, carrying us from “Pupa” to “Chrysalis” to “Transformation” through skillfully-wrought poems and prose. In this collection, he addresses growing up with a loving, supportive mother and an absent father, what it means to be masculine, urban culture, issues of racism, and his own ongoing metamorphosis: “I understand that I am a vessel for change.” (“When I Die,” 52).
The pages themselves, upon which the poems and stories are printed, contain images of ink blots, water stains, creases, shadows and shadow font, handwritten (scribbled) notes, and dynamic drawings (by Steve Weatherbie).
The bold appearance of QR codes on the first page of each piece command that you have your cell phone charged and ready when reading New American Monarch. These QR codes direct you to Price’s website, where he has recorded fragments of his work, set to music and/or sound effects. (A text box explains you can “Listen to the full track and millions more on Spotify.”) These links provide instant gratification as you are able to hear the inflection and tone in the author’s own voice as you read through his work. These recordings are but a glimpse into Price’s clever creativity, which is on full display throughout the book.
“Collateral Damage,” a concrete poem, manages to make a powerful statement in a brief thirty-eight words as it twists across the page like an F5: “Too many of us were infants born/of hurricanes. Failed to realize/destruction; our wind/blowing recklessly/onto passersby. Failed/ to grasp that being raised/ by natural disasters/doesn’t give us/the right to be/someone/else’s/torn/ado.” (11)
Another powerful and unique piece, both on the page and on the stage (of his website), is “[Updated Definition II]”—this one at seven words, all on one line:
“Reverse Racism (noun) re+verse rac+ism (ri-’vərs ‘rā-si-zəm):” (49)
It’s best appreciated when heard (in its entirety) on his website. The colon at the end of the line represents what follows its visual reading: “crickets . . . cri-cricket . . . cri . . . cri . . . cricket . . . silence . . . awkward . . . .”
Self described as a multi-hyphenate, self-directed, highly-collaborative, and equity-focused creative, Price served as 2017-2020 Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and his experience as a poetic artist shows in this collection.
New American Monarch by Marcel Fable Price
New Michigan Press, 2024, 114 pages, $22.00 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-934832-96-7
Review by Dianne Borsenik
Marcel Fable Price’s New American Monarch, his first full-length collection, is a delightfully immersive experience, one to be slowly taken in, not consumed all at once.
New American Monarch, subtitled An Introverted Caterpillar’s Guide to Becoming an Introverted Butterfly, presents his life experiences in stages, carrying us from “Pupa” to “Chrysalis” to “Transformation” through skillfully-wrought poems and prose. In this collection, he addresses growing up with a loving, supportive mother and an absent father, what it means to be masculine, urban culture, issues of racism, and his own ongoing metamorphosis: “I understand that I am a vessel for change.” (“When I Die,” 52).
The pages themselves, upon which the poems and stories are printed, contain images of ink blots, water stains, creases, shadows and shadow font, handwritten (scribbled) notes, and dynamic drawings (by Steve Weatherbie).
The bold appearance of QR codes on the first page of each piece command that you have your cell phone charged and ready when reading New American Monarch. These QR codes direct you to Price’s website, where he has recorded fragments of his work, set to music and/or sound effects. (A text box explains you can “Listen to the full track and millions more on Spotify.”) These links provide instant gratification as you are able to hear the inflection and tone in the author’s own voice as you read through his work. These recordings are but a glimpse into Price’s clever creativity, which is on full display throughout the book.
“Collateral Damage,” a concrete poem, manages to make a powerful statement in a brief thirty-eight words as it twists across the page like an F5: “Too many of us were infants born/of hurricanes. Failed to realize/destruction; our wind/blowing recklessly/onto passersby. Failed/ to grasp that being raised/ by natural disasters/doesn’t give us/the right to be/someone/else’s/torn/ado.” (11)
Another powerful and unique piece, both on the page and on the stage (of his website), is “[Updated Definition II]”—this one at seven words, all on one line:
“Reverse Racism (noun) re+verse rac+ism (ri-’vərs ‘rā-si-zəm):” (49)
It’s best appreciated when heard (in its entirety) on his website. The colon at the end of the line represents what follows its visual reading: “crickets . . . cri-cricket . . . cri . . . cri . . . cricket . . . silence . . . awkward . . . .”
Self described as a multi-hyphenate, self-directed, highly-collaborative, and equity-focused creative, Price served as 2017-2020 Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and his experience as a poetic artist shows in this collection.
New American Monarch by Marcel Fable Price
New Michigan Press, 2024, 114 pages, $22.00 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-934832-96-7
August 31, 2024
New American Monarch is Marcel Fable Price's love letter to his past and commitment to his future. His clever wordplay and razor-sharp metaphors fully display his craft, while his storytelling entraps you and lets you re-live his life in reflection and empathy. He is both nostalgic and self-effacing, calling himself out while also allowing the human of him to let you love his growth. Such as in [PRESS PAUSE] A.K.A. “PUSHES ME”. B.K.A. “HEY WHITE BOY” (which you should press play on by using his QR code), in which he reflects on the painful memories of being bullied and having to eventually stand up for himself that helped him evolve. This is an archaeologist digging through his own bones, finding cultural references like Stretch Armstrong and Family Matters to carbon-date himself all while dusting off lovely memories alongside painful traumas. He also is reflective of his culture and the people in his past, like in his wonderful piece "The Secret to Rock Paper Scissors" where he not only brings you in with stories of his childhood friends but also lays out a contemplative metaphor to consider on what paths we all take in our own transformations. Marcel dances a lovely two-step of moving back a little in his past and stepping forward where he is committed to going at the same time. Just like his clear metaphor of a caterpillar to a butterfly, which bookends his work with thematic similar pieces, he shows us all how he bursts through this paper chrysalis like he cut through it with scissors to rock your world. He says it all himself in one lovely quote: “That is because I always write about the past, but it is now safe to say I know my future.”
September 26, 2024
New American Monarch serves as a time machine through the eyes of author Marcel Fable Price. Marcel does an incredible job making this read feel gritty. Usually when reading a book (especially a poetry book) the author only uses words to world build within and between each poem. Marcel takes this one step further by including ink blots, draft notes, and some small doodles. It truly gives the poem a feel as if they were created recently, or we are seeing the process in which they are coming to life on page. New American Monarch is a a journey exploring culture, race, and has an almost coming of age feel as the reader progresses through the different poems.
September 17, 2024
New American Monarch by Marcel Fable Price is a collection of poems that deeply explores themes of identity, personal transformation, and the Black experience. Structured in three sections—Pupa, Chrysalis, and Transformation—the book reflects the stages of growth and empowerment through vivid language and musical undertones. Each poem intertwines personal struggles with a broader sense of communal resilience, culminating in a powerful journey toward self-discovery and renewal.
For the full review, visit Acers Poetry: https://acerspoetry.com/2024/09/14/na...
For the full review, visit Acers Poetry: https://acerspoetry.com/2024/09/14/na...
June 17, 2025
This is a beautiful book. Visually, the formatting and art connect you to the vulnerability of his words. The writing is vibrant and powerful. Absolutely recommend.
The missing star is for including QR codes throughout the pages. It takes away from the art of the page. I would have rather had them cataloged in the back.
The missing star is for including QR codes throughout the pages. It takes away from the art of the page. I would have rather had them cataloged in the back.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews