Conversations With Audre Lorde (Literary Conversations Series)

Rating:
Summary: Words Remain
Review: 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