A Burst of Light, Audre Lorde
A Burst of Light, Audre Lorde
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A Burst of Light
and Other Essays

Author: Audre Lorde

Narrator: Robin Miles

Unabridged: 4 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/31/2022


Synopsis

"Lorde's words — on race, cancer, intersectionality, parenthood, injustice — burn with relevance 25 years after her death." — O, The Oprah Magazine

Winner of the 1988 Before Columbus Foundation National Book Award, this path-breaking collection of essays is a clarion call to build communities that nurture our spirit. Lorde announces the need for a radical politics of intersectionality while struggling to maintain her own faith as she wages a battle against liver cancer.

From reflections on her struggle with the disease to thoughts on lesbian sexuality and African-American identity in a straight white man's world, Lorde's voice remains enduringly relevant in today's political landscape.

Those who practice and encourage social justice activism frequently quote her exhortation, "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." In addition to the journal entries of "A Burst of Light: Living with Cancer," this edition includes an interview, "Sadomasochism: Not About Condemnation," and three essays, "I Am Your Sister: Black Women Organizing Across Sexualities," "Apartheid U.S.A.," and "Turning the Beat Around: Lesbian Parenting 1986," as well as a new Foreword by Sonia Sanchez.

"You don't read Audre Lorde, you feel her." — Essence

"Lorde's timeless prose in this collection provides contemporary social justice warriors the language, strategies, and lessons around resistance, through the power of intersectionality, a Pan-African vision, and — ultimately — through the power of love and radical self-care." — NBC News

"When I don't know what to do, I turn to the Lorde." — Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Bitch Media

"Whenever my mind is heavy with questions and my heart thirsts for nourishment, I turn to the writing of Audre Lorde. Every time I revisit the words of Audre Lorde, I marvel over how relevant they continue to be." — AfterEllen.com

"The self-described black feminist lesbian mother poet used a mixture of prose, theory, poetry, and experience to interrogate oppressions and uplift marginalized communities. She was one of the first black feminists to target heteronormativity, and to encourage black feminists to expand their understanding of erotic pleasure. She amplified anti-oppression, even as breast cancer ravaged her ailing body." — Evette Dionne, Bustle Magazine

About Audre Lorde

An influential poet and feminist writer, Audre Lorde (1934-1992) dedicated both her life and her creative talent to confronting and addressing the injustices of racism, sexism, and homophobia. She is the author of twelve books, including Undersong and A Burst of Light.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sunny on February 26, 2024

Reading this helped me fully realize the way people have bastardized Lorde’s writing and legacy by pulling quotes out of context to justify their own bullshit. Self-care as political acts of resistance for her was having cancer while still actively doing feminist organizing and fighting South Africa......more

Goodreads review by Krystal on August 18, 2017

This book was a revelation of timeless brilliance from an intersectional feminist I can only strive to take lessons from! Highly recommended for anyone committed to social justice efforts!......more

Goodreads review by Bee on July 07, 2022

Audre Lorde is a genius and never misses the target. Even now, thirty years after her passing, her words ring relevant and true. Her words and mind and mission remain unparalleled.......more

Goodreads review by farahxreads on March 28, 2019

Another incredible collection examining sex industry, apartheid, lesbian parenting and reality of cancer. Bold, transformative and powerful. I can't recommend Audre Lorde strongly enough. She has always held a special place in my heart with her elegant and simulating messages of racism and women emp......more

Goodreads review by anna on May 21, 2023

this is mostly her cancer journals, with a few speeches & interviews at the beginning. not a collection i was expecting, really. i think i made a mistake in choosing this one as my introduction into lorde's writing. (and it's interesting that the interview with susan leigh star titled sadomasochism:......more