A Book For The Shelf: Rantings and Writings of a Black, Queer, Polyamorous Woman

by Arielle Danielle Clark

"I am an amalgamation of birthers – the result of millions of contractions, of thousands of cervixes dilating, opening wide, singing, chanting, yelling arias of new life on the West African plain.  I am the product of hundreds of black wombs carrying black babies with ten black fingers and ten black toes and one black struggle. And while our birthers carried us, little did we know that the kicks and jostles we gave our birthers’ swollen, stretch-marked stomachs were merely practice for when our black feet would touch the ground and carry the weight of slavery and personhood. We began to train our legs before we knew what they were, so that we could run to our black siblings, blood and not-blood, for comfort while running for offices and running from our overbearing parents who are just trying to protect us from the harsh, harsh world. The blood in my veins is that of Audre, of Maya, of Diana and Halle, of Afro-royalty and 4C braids and plump, pursed lips and wideset hips. I am the descendant of soulful siblings, of enslaved people who ran and activists who spoke.  My history is rich, like my ancestors weren’t, who made a dollar out of 15 cents and cuisine out of inedible scraps slaveowners threw to us, deeming us unworthy of good meat and unrestricted freedom. This is my history. Black is my blood, and rich is the African soil from whence I came to be." In her literary debut, writer and entrepreneur Arielle Clark explores what it means to be black and queer in our current world. Through poems and essays, she dives into issues of race, culture, and history with a voice so lovely and poignant that she will surely be a artist for our era.

99 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2020

Reviews

[Hannah Piechowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this. So timely, so raw, so personal, such a vivid collection of stories about transformation and coming into oneself, and understanding one’s intersecting identity.

And even more powerful is that the city in which the author lives, Louisville, is so prevalent throughout, especially in light of such atrocities in 2019 and 2020. I hope Arielle writes more. I loved reading through her perspective.

[Michele Bustamante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clark's dynamic and distinctive voice shines through, making for a captivating literary debut. 'A Book For the Shelf' is a love letter to her younger self and the representation she needed in and of itself. Consider this as testimony to the strength of vulnerability and authenticity and consider grabbing a book for the shelf of any of the humans in your life who need to see and love themselves bursting forth from the margins.