Three sketches of Meshell Ndegeocello.

One. She sang with her eyes closed, as if serenading the dancers in her mind.

Two. Even before we erupted into applause after each song, she was leaning forward to scrutinize her set list, as if she were afraid of silence.

Three. Halfway through her performance, she finally spoke to us. “I wish I had more banter,” she said. “But I’m, you know, a quiet person.”

She is my favorite living musical artist. Her music soaks my novel like milk soaking bread. She shows me how to live: by being only oneself, and nothing else, always.

Of all the songs on her quiet, queenly tribute to Nina Simone, this is my favorite so far.