The self-described black feminist lesbian mother poet used a mixture of prose, theory, poetry, and experience to interrogate oppressions and uplift marginalized communities. She was one of the first black feminists to target heteronormativity, and to encourage black feminists to expand their understanding of erotic pleasure. She amplified anti-oppression, even as breast cancer ravaged her ailing body.
- Evette Dionne, Bustle Magazine A great American theorist of race, gender, living, and dying, poet and activist Audre Lorde created a body of work that was ahead of its time in its embrace of intersectionality. Lorde's writings have become increasingly influential since her death in 1992, contributing to the timeliness of her 1988 American Book Award-winning collection, A Burst of Light. From reflections on her struggle with cancer to thoughts on lesbian sexuality and African-American identity in a straight white man's world, Lorde's voice remains enduringly relevant. Those who practice and encourage social justice activism frequently quote her exhortation, "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." In addition to the journal entries of "A Burst of Light: Living with Cancer," this edition includes an interview, "Sadomasochism: Not About Condemnation," and three essays, "I Am Your Sister: Black Women Organizing Across Sexualities," "Apartheid U.S.A.," and "Turning the Beat Around: Lesbian Parenting 1986," as well as a new Foreword by Sonia Sanchez. AUTHOR: The African-American poet and essayist Audre Lorde (1934?1992) dedicated her life and creative talents to the battle against racism, sexism, and homophobia. In addition to her critically acclaimed The Cancer Journals, Lorde's works include The Black Unicorn, The First Cities, Cables to Rage, From a Land Where Other People Live, and Coal. As well as winning a 1989 American Book Award for A Burst of Light and Other Essays, she received the Walt Whitman Citation of Merit in 1991, designating her the poet laureate of New York; the 1988 Manhattan Borough President's Award for Excellence in the Arts; the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement; and honorary doctorates from Hunter, Oberlin, and Haverford Colleges
