A Broken Heart Can Kill You

KK Rice (Kenya K. Smith) was born May 10, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York.

In his first book of poetry Kenya uses the words of his poetry to express the emotional anguish and turmoil of life experiences that he feels most people can relate to. Love and loss of someone you still love is universally experienced, but it can be debilitating. Upon learning that his birth father had died in 2001 Kenya still felt heartbroken that his father had not seen his son or known what had become of him since a young age.

Kenya's pseudonym is from the initials of his first and middle name, and the last name of his deceased stepfather, James Rice "POP", who became a role model to Kenya and taught him to be the kind, dedicated and creative man he is today. In this way, Kenya honors his love for him. Kenya describes him as a good man and great father who provided an example of how to be a good person, despite the challenges one can face in the modern world. The New World, as identified in the subtitle, Kenya believes is what our society lives in today. Post 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, two wars, the election of an African American president, the murder of George Floyd, an attempted coup of our Federal Government and a global pandemic have all changed the way we feel and interact with each other. In both love and loss.