To Be the Difference by Willie James King is filled with ". . .bare-boned, scalpel-edged verse [that] reverses and heals the mad maladies of our time" (Michael Martone); it is "Musical, passionate, and compassionate, without any airs or mask" (LaWanda Walters), and "The poems celebrate the courage of loved ones and petition for human rights not yet fully realized and still at risk. King's words are always hopeful and outlined with wisdom, clarity, and light" (Beth Copeland).