It’s Black History Month! And while I try to read and highlight Black writers throughout the year, I thought I’d contribute a few extra posts for folks celebrating and folks looking for more resources. While spoken word is my first love, I have been getting better at reading poetry and so I thought I’d share some of my favorite Black women poets and collections that I’m reading or that are on my list. Let me know in the comments what you’re reading this month!
1.Narratives: Poems in the Tradition of Black Women by Cheryl Clarke
Black lesbian poet Cheryl Clarke’s 1992 collection, first published by Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, is about love and women creating representation.
2.The Black Unicorn by Audre Lorde
Fed up with the whiteness of the poetry and nearly all literature taught in my school, Audre Lorde was one of the first poets I really connected with. The poems in this collection are beautiful and powerful, and explore how we inhabit multiple positions. Find “A Litany for Survival,” and other poems here.
3.Black Wings & Blind Angels by Sapphire
This work collects over 40 poems by the author of Push, as unflinching and harrowing and powerful as her novel, but also trigger warnings for abuse and incest.
4.Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith
When it comes to poetry, spoken word is my first love. Here’s Blood Dazzler by amazing Patricia Smith, check our her spoken word performances (some videos are available online)! This collection follows Hurricane Katrina and the destruction unleashed through the voices of survivors, politicians and even the hurricane itself.
5.They Are All Me by Dominique Christina
Another slam poet, Dominique Christina is also an educator and activist and this work is her second poetry collection. She takes on topics such as genocide, police violence, Katrina and menstruation.
6.Gospel by Samiya Bashir
In this collection, poet Samiya Bashir takes on fear and power through gospel, but not necessarily (just) the religious meaning of the word. By the way, Bashir’s newest work comes out in April!
7.Beastgirl and Other Origin Myths by Elizabeth Acevedo
In the 2016 collection Beastgirl, Afro-Latina poet Acevedo interweaves personal stories, mythology and Dominican culture.
8. BlackGirl Mansion by Angel Nafis
Also a spoken word artist, Angel Nafis’ poetry leaps off the page: “I am here now,/speaking and giving/in bursts/of chest, and effort,/and temperature.”
9.Trigger by Venus Selenite
This is poet, writer, performance artist, social critic, editor, educator, and technologist Venus Selenite’s debut collection “is a bold, intimate, and comfortable/uncomfortable quest, through (Selenite’s) own eyes, in being Black, being queer, being trans, being a woman, and being non-binary in 21st century America, in what continues to be systemic and oppressive, but also adventurous and ecstatic” (venusselenite.com). Venus Selenite is also the co-editor of Nameless Woman: An Anthology of Fiction by Trans Women of Color (forthcoming).
10.Name Poems by Jewelle L. Gómez
The Gilda Stories author Jewelle Gómez writes poetry as well. In this 2015 collection, she examines experiences at multiple intersections, exploring her Native American (Ioway, Wampanoag) heritage and Black lesbian identity.
Further reading:
10 Works of Black Lesbian Short Fiction
Great post Bina. I don’t read alot of poetry. Going through the names of the poets in the list, I realise how ignorant I am about poetry. I need to diversify my genres and authors (poets) as well.
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Thanks, Resh😘 I came to poetry late als well, especially poetry that spoke to me. It’s never to late and I recommend savoring poems one at a time😊📚
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Bina! This is an amazing post. I would love to read one of these books for #BlackHistoryMonth. Which one do you recommend? 💖💖💖
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Thanks so much, Deepika!😘 Oh that’s wonderful, though now I have to pick one!😱😁 I can never recommend Audre Lorde enough! Also BlackGirl Mansions or Jewelle Gomez, depending on which books you can get access to. Happy reading!📚🙌
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Thank you, Bina. ❤ I was looking forward to reading one of these. But they are not available here. Do you recommend anything else for me to read for #BlackHistoryMonth?
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Aww that sucks. Have you checked my short story list? Or let me know any genre etc you like and I’ll think of some recs😊
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Ahh, I love your lists so much, and this one is certainly no exception! Thank you!
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Thanks so much,Debbie😘 Hope you’ll find some great reads for you on this list 📚😊
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I just finished Hidden Figures and highly recommend it!
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Yay!🙌 I’m nearly done with that one, loving it so far💜✊
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I have never been a big reader of poetry, although I’ve been dipping my toes in more in the past couple of years. Thanks for this great list!
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Hope some of these can convince you😊 I tend to read a few poems and then put the collection back and pick it up later. Super slow but I prefer reading poetry collections slowly. Check out the spoken word vids of some of these poets🙌📚
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These look like great books! I’ll definitely be checking some of these out!
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Great list! I lLOVE The Black Unicorn; Patricia Smith has been on my TBR overlong; and Elizabeth Avecedo’s Beastgirl and Other Origin Myths look tempting.
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Ohhhhh what a great list! Definitely want to check some of these out! x
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Another fantastic list Bina! Beastgirl and Other Origin Myths looks particularly appealing to me. Did you read it or is it on your TBR?
I am going to be reading Brown Girl Dreaming this month in celebration of Black History Month 🙂
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After reading Salt and Bone, I definitely need more poetry!! The ones that really speak out to me are The Black Unicorn and Name Poems. I couldn’t find the latter on Kindle, but Black Unicorn is $9.99. I’ll wait a little to see if it goes on sale, but may just get it anyway.
Thanks for this list!
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OMG these all look brilliant, thanks Bina! I really do need to read more poetry. My personal favourite poetry collection by a black poet is Muse and Drudge by Harryette Mullen. I studied it last year and it absolutely blew me away.
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As someone who is not only trying to put more poetry on my shelves, I’m also trying to put more diversity one there too. I will for sure be checking out this entire list. Thanks for sharing !!
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Wonderful list Bina! I’ll be sure to add these to my TBR. Thank you! I’d been searching for more poetry collections by women of color especially black women so I guess I’ve come to the right place! 😊
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Thank you for another phenomenal list! I cannot wait to find copies of some of these collections. Sadly, I am having trouble locally, but I will look more online.
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Blood Dazzler is AMAZING. And I just read Natasha Trethewey’s Thrall, which is so very good.
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