Narratives: Poems in the Tradition of Black Women

by Cheryl Clarke, Gay Belknap (Illustrator)

Poems in the Tradition of Black Women

Genres: Poetry, Feminism

55 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Cheryl L. Clarke is a lesbian poet, essayist, educator and a Black feminist community activist: she lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, and Hobart, New York. With her life partner, Barbara Balliet, she is co-owner of Bleinheim Hill Books, a used and rare bookstore in Hobart.

Reviews

[Madi · Rating 5 out of 5]

With endorsements on the back from Adrienne Rich, June Jordan, and Audre Lorde, I knew I had to pick this up. This collection is heart wrenching. Clarke uses poetry as a device for storytelling unlike other poets I’ve read. Her stories are specific yet universal, and though I don’t know the characters personally, I feel like I do now. There were a few times my heart stopped after reading a poem, which is why I am giving this collection 5 stars. They weren’t all standouts, but the ones that were REALLY were. This collection will make you feel all kinds of things. It is also brief: there are less than 40 pages of poems, but it contains hundreds of stories. Truly powerful.

My favorite poems: hair, April 4 1968: Washington, D.C., mavis writes in her journal, and a mother’s story.

[Aidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎊🎊💦🍽️🥇🩷

[Angélique (Angel) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 3/4 Stars. This is a poetry collection that I could read a hundred times and still want to read again. Clarke's dedication to writing about the experiences of Black women honestly and unabashedly came through in every poem and made this Black woman feel more at home in this poetry book than in many others I've read.