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A Ms. magazine, Refinery29, and Lambda Literary Most Anticipated Read of 2021
A groundbreaking collection tracing the history of intellectual thought by Black Lesbian writers, in the tradition of The New Press's perennial seller Words of Fire
African American lesbian writers and theorists have made extraordinary contributions to feminist theory, activism, and writing. Mouths of Rain, the companion anthology to Beverly Guy-Sheftall's classic Words of Fire, traces the long history of intellectual thought produced by Black Lesbian writers, spanning the nineteenth century through the twenty-first century.
Using “Black Lesbian” as a capacious signifier, Mouths of Rain includes writing by Black women who have shared intimate and loving relationships with other women, as well as Black women who see bonding as mutual, Black women who have self-identified as lesbian, Black women who have written about Black Lesbians, and Black women who theorize about and see the word lesbian as a political descriptor that disrupts and critiques capitalism, heterosexism, and heteropatriarchy. Taking its title from a poem by Audre Lorde, Mouths of Rain addresses pervasive issues such as misogynoir and anti-blackness while also attending to love, romance, “coming out,” and the erotic.
Contributors include:
Barbara Smith
Beverly Smith
Bettina Love
Dionne Brand
Cheryl Clarke
Cathy J. Cohen
Angelina Weld Grimke
Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Audre Lorde
Dawn Lundy Martin
Pauli Murray
Michelle Parkerson
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
Alice Walker
Jewelle Gomez
Editor: Briona Simone Jones
Paperback Published 10 April 2021 224 pages
“It’s no secret that Black lesbian thought leaders have played a pivotal role as activists in shaping feminist theory. In this powerful anthology, Briona Simone Jones shines a light on the words of many of those trailblazers, including Barbara Smith, Audre Lorde, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, among many notable others.”—Refinery29
“This outstanding collection honors the legacy and contributions made by Black lesbian writers throughout the last two centuries.”—Ms. magazine
“Told through a collection of essays by Black women including Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Jewel Gomez and Beverly Smith, Mouths of Rain explores the long history of intellectual thought and stories by Black lesbian writers spanning from the nineteenth century through the twenty-first century.”—The Root