Seeing Through: a Chronicle of Sex, Drugs, and Opera

“Ricky Ian Gordon’s Seeing Through is a remarkable story about the considerable effort it takes to be an artist and a human being, simultaneously. It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s intimate and it’s profound.”

—Michael Cunningham, author of Day

“With candor abounding, Ricky Ian Gordon sings the engrossing song of himself. What a lot he has survived! What a lot he has surmounted! I could read him forever.”

—Benjamin Taylor, author of Chasing Bright Medusas: A Life of Willa Cather

“I have never read a more candid and engrossing memoir than Seeing Through. Told in vivid detail, Ricky’s story is poignant, entertaining, and ultimately inspirational.”

—William C. Carter, author of Marcel Proust: A Life

—June Sawyers, Booklist

“Gordon’s book isn’t just a memoir; it’s a guide. It offers insights and encouragement to anyone involved in creative work, showing that the struggles behind the scenes are often as significant as the final product, whether that product is a human (Gordon) or made for the opera stage. Gordon wrote a powerful book full of intricate details about his life, with stories that will break your heart and lift your spirits.”

 —Chris Ruel, OperaWire