dark phrases of womanhood/of never having been a girl
October 28, 2018 8:05 AM Subscribe
Ntozake Shange, author of 'for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf,' has died. She added the term "choreopoem" to our lexicon when 'for colored girls' made its off-Broadway debut in 1975 and became only the second work by an African American woman to make it to Broadway the following year. Her work is a staple on college campuses today and helps women of color celebrate sisterhood, self-love, and creative expression: “i found god in myself & i loved her/i loved her fiercely.”
One of my favorite monologues, Lady in Green's "Somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff" (performed in this youtube link by a lady in purple).
One of my favorite monologues, Lady in Green's "Somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff" (performed in this youtube link by a lady in purple).
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posted by Freeze Peach at 8:59 AM on October 28, 2018
posted by Freeze Peach at 8:59 AM on October 28, 2018
I have loved her work since first encounter at about age 14. I saw her read at UMass in about 1989. This news hit me like an arrow. I’m so sad she is gone.
posted by Riverine at 9:28 AM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Riverine at 9:28 AM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by ChuraChura at 10:01 AM on October 28, 2018
posted by ChuraChura at 10:01 AM on October 28, 2018
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posted by praemunire at 10:20 AM on October 28, 2018
posted by praemunire at 10:20 AM on October 28, 2018
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posted by mustard seeds at 10:32 AM on October 28, 2018
posted by mustard seeds at 10:32 AM on October 28, 2018
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posted by doctornemo at 11:04 AM on October 28, 2018
posted by doctornemo at 11:04 AM on October 28, 2018
I don’t understand the posts that are just periods so if I’m breaking protocol with an answer, I apologize. I have nowhere else to mourn.
I met her when I was 9ish, 1988 or so. I had read Sassafras, Cypress, and Indigo. Not appropriate but oh well. My mother organized the reading at her college and so we got to hang out with her after. She was lovely. Someone had given her a bouquet of those chocolate roses wrapped in foil. She gave me one. Between the chocolate and the first period ritual in the book it was like meeting Judy Blume to me. She has a daughter, Savannah I think I remember, who is my age. Ntozake encouraged me to write to her, pen pals! I was never any good at maintaining stuff like that so maybe a letter or two before I let it go.
She was kindness personified. I didn’t realize it at the time. She dealt with (and probably saw the truth of) my White Feminist, Kinte cloth-hat wearing, name dropping ‘Zake for fucking decades after mother and still thought it would be okay for me to contact her kid. Maybe my mother told her how broken I was, maybe she could recognize it in me. It was a kindness I didn’t understand until this last decade of my life.
We lost a remarkable woman and a great talent. So bring on the Darkest Timeline jokes.
posted by monkeyscouch at 11:19 AM on October 28, 2018 [37 favorites]
I met her when I was 9ish, 1988 or so. I had read Sassafras, Cypress, and Indigo. Not appropriate but oh well. My mother organized the reading at her college and so we got to hang out with her after. She was lovely. Someone had given her a bouquet of those chocolate roses wrapped in foil. She gave me one. Between the chocolate and the first period ritual in the book it was like meeting Judy Blume to me. She has a daughter, Savannah I think I remember, who is my age. Ntozake encouraged me to write to her, pen pals! I was never any good at maintaining stuff like that so maybe a letter or two before I let it go.
She was kindness personified. I didn’t realize it at the time. She dealt with (and probably saw the truth of) my White Feminist, Kinte cloth-hat wearing, name dropping ‘Zake for fucking decades after mother and still thought it would be okay for me to contact her kid. Maybe my mother told her how broken I was, maybe she could recognize it in me. It was a kindness I didn’t understand until this last decade of my life.
We lost a remarkable woman and a great talent. So bring on the Darkest Timeline jokes.
posted by monkeyscouch at 11:19 AM on October 28, 2018 [37 favorites]
Another literary lioness is gone.
RIP, and thank you for all the amazing words.
posted by Lynsey at 11:26 AM on October 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
RIP, and thank you for all the amazing words.
posted by Lynsey at 11:26 AM on October 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
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Context for dot posts on the MeFi wiki, in case it helps! Comments with words are also of course good and appropriate and part of mourning, and your story is a good one, monkeyscouch!
posted by limeonaire at 12:03 PM on October 28, 2018 [3 favorites]
Context for dot posts on the MeFi wiki, in case it helps! Comments with words are also of course good and appropriate and part of mourning, and your story is a good one, monkeyscouch!
posted by limeonaire at 12:03 PM on October 28, 2018 [3 favorites]
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posted by Joey Michaels at 12:33 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:33 PM on October 28, 2018
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a powerful and moving woman who will be much missed
posted by MovableBookLady at 12:44 PM on October 28, 2018
a powerful and moving woman who will be much missed
posted by MovableBookLady at 12:44 PM on October 28, 2018
I can name the three female artists who had the biggest impact on me back before I got old
, probably larger and more strongly felt than any of the politics of feminism or female empowerment. Shange was one of them. I feel I owe her my life's blood. "I do ya like I do ya cuz I thought you could take it."
posted by kemrocken at 1:00 PM on October 28, 2018 [4 favorites]
, probably larger and more strongly felt than any of the politics of feminism or female empowerment. Shange was one of them. I feel I owe her my life's blood. "I do ya like I do ya cuz I thought you could take it."
posted by kemrocken at 1:00 PM on October 28, 2018 [4 favorites]
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posted by The Vice Admiral of the Narrow Seas at 1:35 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by The Vice Admiral of the Narrow Seas at 1:35 PM on October 28, 2018
Her memory for a blessing. Her work meant a lot to me as a teenager coming to grips with the world.
posted by 168 at 1:41 PM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by 168 at 1:41 PM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
On my first visit to New York City, a field trip from my almost-all-white high school in Ohio, this poster seemed to be in every single subway station. Haunting and indelible.
posted by How the runs scored at 1:55 PM on October 28, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by How the runs scored at 1:55 PM on October 28, 2018 [4 favorites]
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posted by kimberussell at 2:35 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by kimberussell at 2:35 PM on October 28, 2018
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 3:17 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by JoeXIII007 at 3:17 PM on October 28, 2018
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posted by songs_about_rainbows at 3:20 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by songs_about_rainbows at 3:20 PM on October 28, 2018
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posted by mistersquid at 3:39 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by mistersquid at 3:39 PM on October 28, 2018
She and her play are truly revolutionary, rest in power.
posted by yueliang at 3:49 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by yueliang at 3:49 PM on October 28, 2018
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posted by Halloween Jack at 5:19 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:19 PM on October 28, 2018
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posted by Katjusa Roquette at 8:13 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 8:13 PM on October 28, 2018
I had never heard of this writer/woman before. Very insightful.
posted by abtaylorxo at 8:15 PM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by abtaylorxo at 8:15 PM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by heatvision at 2:23 AM on October 29, 2018
posted by heatvision at 2:23 AM on October 29, 2018
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posted by wheek wheek wheek at 2:57 AM on October 29, 2018
posted by wheek wheek wheek at 2:57 AM on October 29, 2018
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posted by one teak forest at 9:41 AM on October 29, 2018
posted by one teak forest at 9:41 AM on October 29, 2018
Well, poop.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:21 PM on October 29, 2018
posted by aspersioncast at 12:21 PM on October 29, 2018
i have had it/ i am not goin to grow up to be
somethin else
i am goin to be ol & grey wizened & wise as
aunt mamie/
i am gonna write poems til i die
saw an excellent local production of "for colored girls..." last weekend, exquisitely blocked, full of dance and movement. respect and gratitude.
posted by ifjuly at 12:52 PM on October 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
somethin else
i am goin to be ol & grey wizened & wise as
aunt mamie/
i am gonna write poems til i die
saw an excellent local production of "for colored girls..." last weekend, exquisitely blocked, full of dance and movement. respect and gratitude.
posted by ifjuly at 12:52 PM on October 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by LobsterMitten at 9:47 PM on October 29, 2018
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:47 PM on October 29, 2018
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posted by pjsky at 8:19 AM on October 28, 2018