About

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“Letters to Audre Lorde” is an ongoing experiment started as a poetry curriculum for an Introduction to Women’s Studies Course offered by the Africana Women’s Studies Program at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina.

A dynamic group of young black women, some whose names you will learn here and some who chose to stay anonymous read poems, essays and a chorale by Audre Lorde and confronted their own survival and the pressing issues of our day with insight and formal strategies learned from the black feminist lesbian warrior poet.

Audre Lorde, afro-caribbean feminist and active teacher, poet, mother and warrior from the 1950’s until her untimely death from cancer in 1992, remains an inspiration to black feminists, anti-racist activists and thinkers, queer artists, and poets of all kinds.  In one of her very last public interviews Audre Lorde assured everyone listening that “my words will be there” for the brave youth that she knew would walk in her legacy. I find it completely appropriate  to invoke “the Lorde” to help young black women to interpret and contextualize the present role of creative writers, feminists and warriors for economic and racial justice.

Audre Lorde’s work, and this project both continue through you.  Email brokenbeautifulpress@gmail.com if you would like to submit your own remix or homage to any of Audre Lorde’s poems, or any letters that you would like to send her way.

In the hands of Audre,

Alexis Pauline Gumbs

BrokenBeautiful Press