Happy Pride Month! Throughout June we are highlighting some of the incredible intersectional works included in the Black Queer Studies Collection.
Visit the book displays on the 3rd floor of PCL and in the Poetry Center in the UFCU room to find materials from the collection below. Many thanks to Sarah Brandt, Ginny Barnes, Gina Bastone, Elle Covington, and Linna Dean for getting this month’s display together!
Materials on Display
- Big Freedia: God save the queen diva! by Big Freedia
- “From the eponymous star of the most popular reality show in Fuse TVs history, this no-holds-barred memoir tells the story of a gay, self-proclaimed mama’s boy who exploded onto the formerly underground Bounce music scene–a hip-hop subgenre–and found acceptance, healing, self-expression, and stardom”–Amazon.com.
- Black Bull, Ancestors and Me: My Life as a Lesbian Sangoma by Nkunzi Zandile Nkabinde [eBook]
- “Describing the dichotomy of being both revered and reviled, this memoir traces the story of a sangoma, a traditional healer, who is also a lesbian. Descriptions of traditional African healing practices and rituals are provided alongside the personalized account of one woman acting as a mirror to the daily hardships and indignities felt by members of the gay community in Africa.”
- Black girl dangerous: On race, queerness, class and gender by Mia McKenzie
- Essays reprinted from the website Black girl dangerous
- Black on both sides: A racial history of trans identity by C. Riley Snorton [eBook]
- “The story of Christine Jorgensen, Americas first prominent transsexual, famously narrated trans embodiment in the postwar era.”
- Black. Queer. Southern. Women. by E. Patrick Johnson [eBook]
- “Drawn from the life narratives of more than seventy African American queer women who were born, raised, and continue to reside in the American South, this book powerfully reveals the way these women experience and express racial, sexual, gender, and class identities–all linked by a place where such identities have generally placed them on the margins of society.”
- Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
- “Bellona is a city at the dead center of the United States. Something has happened there…. The population has fled. Madmen and criminals wander the streets. Strange portents appear in the cloud-covered sky. And into this disaster zone comes a young man–poet, lover, and adventurer–known only as the Kid.”
- Ezili’s mirrors: Imagining Black queer genders by Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley
- “From the dagger mistress Ezili Je Wouj and the gender-bending mermaid Lasiren to the beautiful femme queen Ezili Freda, the Ezili pantheon of Vodoun spirits represents the divine forces of love, sexuality, prosperity, pleasure, maternity, creativity, and fertility.”
- Funk the erotic: Transaesthetics and black sexual cultures by L.H. Stallings
- “Funk. It is multisensory and multidimensional philosophy used in conjunction with the erotic, eroticism, and black erotica. It is the affect that shapes film, performance, sound, food, technology, drugs, energy, time, and the seeds of revolutionary ideas for black movements.”
- Here comes the sun: A novel by Nicole Dennis-Benn
- “In this radiant, highly anticipated debut, a cast of unforgettable women battle for independence while a maelstrom of change threatens their Jamaican village. Capturing the distinct rhythms of Jamaican life and dialect, Nicole Dennis- Benn pens a tender hymn to a world hidden among pristine beaches and the wide expanse of turquoise seas.”
- Hunger: A memoir of (my) body by Roxane Gay
- “Gay has written … about food and bodies, using her own emotional and psychological struggles as a means of exploring our shared anxieties over pleasure, consumption, appearance, and health. As a woman who describes her own body as ‘wildly undisciplined,’ Roxane understands the tension between desire and denial, between self-comfort and self-care.” — Amazon.com.
- I am your sister: Collected and unpublished writings of Audre Lorde [eBook]
- “Audre Lorde was not only a famous black poet; she was also one of the most important radical black feminists of the past half century. I Am Your Sister collects her non-fiction prose from 1976 to 1990, and it is the first volume to provide a full picture of Lorde’s political work (as opposed to her aesthetic work).”
- June Jordan: Her life and letters by Valerie Kinloch
- “June Jordan was born on July 9, 1936, in Harlem, New York, to Mildred and Granville Jordan, Jamaican natives. During her life, she became one of the most prolific, important, and influential African American writers of her time.”
- Live through this: Surviving the intersections of sexuality, God, and race by Clay Cane
- “This powerful book couldn’t come at a more timely juncture. With our deep misunderstanding of racial identity, the murder of transgender women increasing at an alarming rate and the battle of faith and sexual orientation at churches across the country, we are in a cultural war of ideologies. Overwhelming prejudices have constricted our basic capacity for compassion and understanding. Live Through This is a collection of intimate essays about one man’s journey to self-acceptance when his faith, sexuality, and race battled with societal norms. These insightful writings will plant seeds of consideration and inspire readers to stretch beyond stereotypes. By reading stories about the demographics that live on the fringe of traditions, we gain a deeper awareness of our cultural climate and how we can improve it, starting with ourselves.”–Amazon.com.
- Lives of great men: Living and loving as an African gay man by Chike Frankie Edozien
- “From Victoria Island, Lagos to Brooklyn, U.S.A. to Accra, Ghana to Paris, France; from across the Diaspora to the heart of the African continent, in this memoir Nigerian journalist Chike Frankie Edozien offers a highly personal series of contemporary snapshots of same gender loving Africans, unsung Great Men living their lives, triumphing and finding joy in the face of great adversity.”
- Nick Cave: Meet me at the center of the Earth by Nick Cave
- Published in conjunction with the exhibition held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, Mar. 28-July 5, 2009 and the Fowler Museum at UCLA, North Los Angeles, Jan. 10-June 1, 2010.
- No tea, no shade: New writings in Black queer studies by E. Patrick Johnson [eBook]
- “No Tea, No Shade brings together nineteen essays from the next generation of black queer studies scholars, activists, and community leaders who build on the foundational work of black queer studies, pushing the field in new and exciting directions.”
- Nova by Samuel R. Delany
- “Given that the suns of Draco stretch almost sixteen light years from end to end, it stands to reason that the cost of transportation is the most important factor of the 32nd century. And since Illyrion is the element most needed for space travel, Lorq von Ray is plenty willing to fly through the core of a recently imploded sun in order to obtain seven tons of it.”
- Phallos by Samule R. Delany
- “Taking the form of a gay pornographic novella, with the explicit sex omitted, Phallos is set during the reign of the second-century Roman emperor Hadrian, and circles around the historical account of the murder of the emperor’s favorite, Antinous.”
- Queer and trans artists of color: Stories of some of our lives interviews by Nia King
- “A collection of sixteen unique and honest conversations you won’t read anywhere else.”
- Sister outsider: Essays and speeches by Audre Lorde [eBook]
- “The fourteen essays and speeches collected in this work, several of them published for the first time, span almost a decade of this Black lesbian feminist’s work. Lorde is unflinching in her observations and is lucid and clarifying in her coverage of a range of essential topics.”
- Surpassing certainty: What my twenties taught me by Janet Mock
- “As you witness Janet’s slow-won success and painful failures, Surpassing Certainty will embolden you, shift the way you see others, and affirm your journey in search of self”–Provided by publisher.
- Tailor-made by Yolanda Wallace
- “Before Grace Henderson began working as a tailor in her father’s bespoke suit shop in Wiliamsburg, Brooklyn, she established a hard and fast rule about not dating clients. The edict is an easy one for her to follow, considering the overwhelming majority of the shop’s clients are men. But when Dakota Lane contacts her to commission a suit to wear to her sister’s wedding, Grace finds herself tempted to throw all the rules out the window.”
- Tales of Nevèrÿon by Samuel R. Delany
- “In his four-volume series Return to Nevèrÿon, Hugo and Nebula award-winner Samuel R. Delany appropriated the conceits of sword-and-sorcery fantasy to explore his characteristic themes of language, power, gender, and the nature of civilization”
- The color purple by Alice Walker
- “Set in the period between the world wars, this novel tells of two sisters, their trials, and their survival.”
- The journals of Samuel R. Delany. Volume 1, In search of silence : 1957-1969
- “In Search of Silence presents over a decade’s worth of Delany’s private journals, commencing in 1957 when he was still a student at the Bronx High School of Science, and ending in 1969 when he was living in San Francisco and on the verge of reconceiving the novel that would become Dhalgren.”
- The mad man by Samuel R. Delany
- “A philosophy students becomes interested in a dead philosopher who was a pervert. In time he begins imitating the man and in the process reaches the depths of perversion.”
- The queer Caribbean speaks: Interviews with writers, artists, and activists by Kofi Omoniyi Sylvanus Campbell
- “In most Caribbean countries homosexuality is still illegal, and many outside of the region are unaware of how difficult life can be for gay men and lesbians. This book is born out of the near-silence surrounding the lives of queer Caribbean citizens and collects interviews with writers, artists, and activists to challenge the dominance of Euro-American models in understanding global queerness. These interviews give voices to those who live and work on the front lines of the battle for the recognition of LGBQT rights in the region, with the hope that their voices will bring wider awareness of, and shed light on, the issues faced by LGBQT Caribbean citizens”–Back cover
- The wind is spirit: The life, love and legacy of Audre Lorde by Gloria I. Joseph
- “Across the country and around the world, the bold and powerful Audre Lorde has been a touchstone for generations of writers and activists. And while she has been the subject of many books, there is more of her story to tell. The Wind is Spirit: The Life, Love and Legacy of Audre Lorde offers an entirely different and intimate perspective. Written by Dr. Gloria I. Joseph, Audre Lorde’s partner in love and life during her final years, the book invites readers to share her experiences using deeply revealing storytelling and call-and-response narration.”– Provided by publisher.
- Voices rising: Celebrating 20 years of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender writing edited by G. Winston James
- “Voices Rising is a collection of literary works by gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people of African descent.”
- Warrior poet: A biography of Audre Lorde by Alexis De Veaux
- “Alexis De Veaux demystifies Lorde’s iconic status, charting her childhood; her marriage to a white, gay man with whom she had two children; her emergence as an outspoken black feminist lesbian poet; and her canonization as a seminal poet of American literature.”
- We are never meeting in real life by Samantha Irby
- “With heartfelt candor and her usual side-splitting bite, humorist, essayist, and blogger at bitchesgottaeat.com Samantha Irby captures powerful emotional truths while chronicling the disaster that has been her life. An ill-fated pilgrimage and romantic vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father’s ashes, awkward sexual encounters, a Bachelorette application gone awry, and more– sometimes you just have to laugh, even when your life is a dumpster fire.”
- What color is your hoodie?: Essays on black gay identity by Jarrett Neal
- “In thirteen candid and provocative essays, author Jarrett Neal reports on the status of black gay men in the new millennium, examining classism among black gay men, racism within the gay community, representations of the black male body within gay pornography, and patriarchal threats to the survival of both black men and gay men. What Color Is Your Hoodie? employs the author’s own quest for visibility–through bodybuilding, creative writing, and teaching, among other pursuits–as the genesis for an insightful and critical dialogue that ultimately symbolizes the entire black gay community’s struggle for recognition and survival”–Back cover.
- Workin’ it!: RuPaul’s guide to life, liberty, and the pursuit of style by RuPaul
- “The popular drag queen and host of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” provides provocative tips on fashion, beauty, style and confidence for women and men, gay and straight.”
- Zami: A new spelling of my name by Audre Lorde
- “The poet, Audre Lorde, depicts her life and examines the influence of various women on her development.”
Poetry
- Gospel: Poems by Samiya Bashir [eBook]
- “Gospel is an ecumenical resistance song in four parts.”
- Jimmy’s blues and other poems by James Baldwin
- “All of the published poetry of James Baldwin, including six significant poems previously only available in a limited edition.”
- Online Access [eBook]
Comic Books
- Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
- “When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-’60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a church bingo hall. Realizing their love for each other is still alive, what these grandmothers do next takes absolute strength and courage.”–Amazon.com
- Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay
- The world building of Wakanda continues in a love story where tenderness is matched only by brutality! You know them now as the Midnight Angels, but in this story they are just Ayo and Aneka, young women recruited to become Dora Milaje, an elite task force trained to protect the crown of Wakanda at all costs.
Youth Collection
- Julián is a mermaid by Jessica Love
- “While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself?”
- Let’s talk about love by Claire Kann
- “In this young adult novel, Alice, afraid of explaining her asexuality, has given up on finding love until love finds her.”
- Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
- “Suzette returns home to Los Angeles from boarding school and grapples with her bisexual identity when she and her brother Lionel fall in love with the same girl, pushing Lionel’s bipolar disorder to spin out of control and forcing Suzette to confront her own demons”– Provided by publisher.
- Princess Princess ever after by Katie O’Neill
- “When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. Yet as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring out the very best in the other person. They’ll need to join forces and use all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress with a dire grudge against Sadie. Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what happily ever after really means and how they can find it with each other”–Back cover.
Video
- Major! produced & directed by Annalise Ophelian [Online Access]
- “MAJOR! is a documentary film exploring the life and campaigns of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a formerly incarcerated Black transgender elder and activist who has been fighting for the rights of trans women of color for over 40 years.” — film website
- Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins [Online Access]
- “A young black man struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.”
- Paris is burning produced and directed by Jennie Livingston
- The “unblinking behind-the-scenes story of the fashion-obsessed New Yorkers who created ‘voguing’ and drag balls, and turned these raucous celebrations into a powerful expression of fierce personal pride” — Container.
- Pay it no mind: Marsha P. Johnson a documentary by Michael Kasino
- Marsha P. Johnson was a revolutionary trans activist, Stonewall instigator, Andy Warhol model, drag queen, prostitute, and Saint, as well as a downtown New York City fixture. From the 1960s through her too-soon demise in 1992, Johnson persevered through a life embodied by her middle initial P, which stood for “Pay It No Mind.”
Already read or seen any of the above? Give us your critiques in the comments below!
