Conversations with Audre Lorde

By: Hall, Joan Wylie

Book Overview

Audre Lorde (1934-1992), the author of eleven books of poetry, described herself as a "Black feminist lesbian poet warrior mother," but she added that this phrase was inadequate in capturing her full identity. The interviews in this collection portray the many additional sides of the Harlem-born author and activist. She was also a rebellious child of Caribbean parents, a mastectomy patient, a blue-collar worker, a college professor, a student of African mythology, an experimental autobiographer in her book titled Zami, a critic of imperialism, and a charismatic orator.

Despite her intense engagement with the major social movements of her time, Lorde told interviewers that she was always an outsider, a position of weakness and of strength.

Most of her schoolmates were white. She married a white legal-aid attorney, and after their divorce she was the partner of a white psychologist for many years. These intimate alliances with whites caused some African Americans of both genders to question the depth of her solidarity. Lorde expressed distrust of some white feminists and charged that they lacked real understanding of African American struggles.

Writing proved to be her powerful weapon against injustice. Painfully aware that differences could provoke prejudice and violence, she promoted the bridging of barriers. These interviews reveal the sense of displacement that made Lorde a champion of the outcast and the forgotten--whether in New York, Mississippi, Berlin, or Soweto.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1578066433
• ISBN13: 9781578066438
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Words Remain

Black, feminist, lesbian, mother, and warrior poet are all words that Audre Lorde used to describe herself. Her professional accomplishments are unquestionable; she authored several collections of poetry, was a National Book Award nominee, published a work of fiction that she called a biomythography, was a professor, editor and publisher. Her personal life was also quite complicated; it included difficult childhood, growing up legally blind, and her battle with cancer. CONVERSATIONS WITH AUDRE LORDE helps readers better understand Lorde as an individual and bring deeper meaning to the dichotomous aspects of her personality. The interviews span approximately 15 years, and are conducted by a range of interviewers. As a result, the collection is thorough and reflects the evolution and growth of Lorde both as a poet and as a person. They illustrate her undying commitment to her beliefs and values. While some of the interviews in the collection are redundant, it is understandable that multiple interviewers would be interested in the same topics. This compilation is a wonderful testament to the life of Audre Lorde. It gives fans and even those who are not familiar with her work the opportunity to find out what she was like. Audre Lorde was a complicated person who tried to reflect the various aspects of her personality into her body of work and through her political involvement. Although she is no longer living, her words live on. I highly commend Joan Wylie Hall for putting together this noteworthy collection. Reviewed by Stacey Seay of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers