In her 1978 essay, “takin a solo/ a poetic possibility/ a poetic imperative,” Ntozake Shange interrogates literatures and criticism that submit to demands of racial representation over the possibilities of creative expression. Critiquing US literary culture’s tendency to reward writers whose voices reinforce prefabricated models of blackness, Shange observes that that, “if you are… female … Read more
What follows is a purely subjective analysis. The primer of my title refers to several meanings of the word: A prayer book or devotional manual for the use of lay people. A book that covers the basic elements of a subject. For over three decades, Ntozake Shange’s writing has been a source of pleasure and … Read more
these stains & scars are minethis is my spacei am not movin—Shange, nappy edges, (a cross country sojourn) The first time I heard the name Ntozake Shange, I was still in high school. I was invited to attend a production of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf that … Read more
“Cooking is the oldest of the arts.”—Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste Cooking food and other rituals of daily life compose the corps/core of Ntozake Shange’s artistic praxis. This essay focuses on recipes as food for life in Shange’s performative art/work. It analyzes her aesthetic practice as a form of nourishment and political empowerment. In … Read more
i.write the namesdedication and preparation Read this article when you have a moment to participate in your own legacy.Join me as I acknowledge what made this possible. Or come back later. Find a pen. Find a blank enough space to write. Ready? Do this for me. Write the names. Write the names of the women … Read more
Playwright-director Wole Oguntokun has been a major figure in contemporary Nigerian theater for over 15 years. As the artistic director of the Renegade Theatre, he directed groundbreaking productions, including a Yoruba version of The Winter’s Tale in London’s Globe theater as part of the Shakespeare Olympiad. He became the first Nigerian producer and director to … Read more
Actor, playwright, and producer Mũmbi Kaigwa began her career in the arts at age ten, when she appeared in Wole Soyinka’s The Strong Breed on Kenyan television. Since then, she has performed in countless productions, ranging from Eric Wainaina’s musical, Mo Faya, to Fernando Meirelle’s film, The Constant Gardener. She appeared in the first Kenyan … Read more
This is a healing storytelling experience, and I believe that all of the characters will heal the wounds that all women have endured.—Rasheedah H. Muhammad, actor portaying lady in green in for colored girls, Daemon College Has the Black vagina received the respect she deserves?—Kimberlè Crenshaw, “the Black Vagina”, a V-Day poem, Apollo Theatre, 2007 … Read more
A response to the panel “Expanding Feminism: Collaborations for Social Justice” at the conference Activism and the Academy: Celebrating 40 Years of Feminist Scholarship and Action. Watch the video here: Download “Collaborations” by Janet R. Jakobsen (pdf)From American Quarterly 64:4 (2012), 827-831. © 2012 The American Studies Association. Reprinted with permission of Johns Hopkins University … Read more
A response to the panel “Building and Rebuilding Societies in Africa” at the conference Activism and the Academy: Celebrating 40 Years of Feminist Scholarship and Action. Watch the video here: Four years ago, BCRW began an initiative to build on the deep research and scholar-activist interests of Barnard faculty engaged in transnational feminist work. The … Read more
