See No Evil: Prefaces, Essays and Accounts, 1976-1983

by Ntozake Shange

See No Evil brings together Ntozake Shange’s remarkable pieces on the history of her plays, lively accounts of dancers and singer, and her penetrating essays on poetry, travel and politics.

“These pieces are filled with the ecstasy of an artist feeling her strength, and drawing forth strength and hope from her audience. They crackle with contradictions, with and anger. Shange challenges all of her readers, black and white, to think fresh thoughts and to rise to brand new feelings.” —Rosellen Brown

72 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1984

About the author

Ntozake Shange (pronounced En-toe-ZAHK-kay SHONG-gay) was an African-American playwright, performance artist, and writer who is best known for her Obie Award winning play for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.

Among her honors and awards are fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, and a Pushcart Prize.

Reviews

[Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ntozake Shange is probably one of my favorite poets, I enjoy the sensual rebellion in her tone while conveying complex ideas and cracking open the limited scope through which we connect with art, life, and each other. Her words ignite something within you to view yourself and the external environment in ways beyond your horizon. I enjoyed how this book affirmed how I have always felt about American theater and what my role is as a poet. In this book, Ntozake Shange allows me [us/Black people] to insert ourselves and contort the structures of theatre with our presence. She speaks with deep compassion for the humanity of Black people and how our abundance has the power to shatter structural inequities and expectations.

I was a bit confused however because you get midway through the book and it starts over, like literally. As if the same thing was printed twice. Definitely not complaining because repetition is key in radicalized thinking.