Book: Zami: A New Spelling of My Name
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is the autobiography of poet Audre Lorde, or "biomythography" as the author describes it. It starts with her childhood, being raised in Harlem by her West Indian parents as she battles with her headstrong mother and first discovers the realities of racism. It then goes on to describe a fiercely independent young adulthood that takes her through a factory in Connecticut, an expatriate community in Mexico, and New York's deviant Greenwich Village in the 50s. All the while, Audre Lorde relates her emerging sexual awareness, and her relationships with the various women who each have a hand in shaping the person she becomes.
The book is beautifully written, with a definite poetic flair that makes Lorde's experiences sharp and vivid. And it's a hard novel to summarize, because there are so many themes running through it: racism, McCarthyism, family, friendship, love, independence. I was particularly fascinated by her descriptions of New York's early lesbian community, the impermanence of gay bars, and the prevalence of the butch-femme dynamic. At times, the story felt so modern that I had to take a step back and remind myself that she was writing about being an openly gay black woman in the 1950s.
I also have a thing for lesbian stories that are about more than two women falling in love. Audre Lorde had a number of girlfriends, some she loved and some she didn't, some who were good for her and some who weren't, and it's refreshing to see such a range of frank, unglamorized, but still lovely depictions of female relationships. Although it's not strictly a love story, in some ways it's an ode to all women, particularly the women in Audre Lorde's life. Insightful, descriptive, and very recommended.
The book is beautifully written, with a definite poetic flair that makes Lorde's experiences sharp and vivid. And it's a hard novel to summarize, because there are so many themes running through it: racism, McCarthyism, family, friendship, love, independence. I was particularly fascinated by her descriptions of New York's early lesbian community, the impermanence of gay bars, and the prevalence of the butch-femme dynamic. At times, the story felt so modern that I had to take a step back and remind myself that she was writing about being an openly gay black woman in the 1950s.
I also have a thing for lesbian stories that are about more than two women falling in love. Audre Lorde had a number of girlfriends, some she loved and some she didn't, some who were good for her and some who weren't, and it's refreshing to see such a range of frank, unglamorized, but still lovely depictions of female relationships. Although it's not strictly a love story, in some ways it's an ode to all women, particularly the women in Audre Lorde's life. Insightful, descriptive, and very recommended.