Afrekete: An Anthology Of Black Lesbian Writing

Destined to become a classic in the tradition of the best-selling Black-Eyed Susans/Midnight Birds and Erotique Noire/ Black Erotica. Afrekete gives collective voice to the tradition of black lesbian writing. In the vast and proliferating area of both African-American and lesbian and gay writing the work of black lesbians is most often excluded or relegated to the margins. Afrekete meshes these seemingly disparate traditions and celebrates black lesbian experiences in all their variety and depth. Elegant timely provocative and inspiring the fiction poetry and nonfiction in Afrekete -- written in a range of styles -- engage a variety of highly topical themes placing them at the center of literary and social discourse. Beginning with Tar Beach an excerpt from Audre Lordes celebrated memoir Zami: A New Spelling of My Name which introduces the character Afrekete the collection also includes such prominent writers as Michelle Cliff Carolivia Herron Jewelle Gomez and Alexis De Veaux. Other pieces are by Jacqueline Woodson Sapphire Essence editor Linda Villarosa and filmmaker Michelle Parkerson with other contributions by exciting new writers Cynthia Bond Jocelyn Taylor Jamika Ajalon and Sharee Nash. Afrekete is a collection whose time has come. It is an extraordinary work one of lasting value for all lovers of literature. A fresh engaging journey Afrekete will both inform and delight.