The Black Arts Era

Audre Lorde (1934-1992) was a literary figure during the Black Arts Era as a poet, essayist, and feminist theorist. She was born Audrey Geraldine Lorde but changed her name because she didn’t like the y hanging down and would always forget to add it. I found that I could relate to her writings more than other writers during this time period because she brings in the feminist aspect. She was a victim of breast cancer and this also influenced her views of cultural norms of physical beauty. “A Litany for Survival” was a poem about a mother’s responsibility to her next generation claiming that she “cannot indulge the passing dreams of choice.” The last line of the poem, “…it is better to speak remembering we were never meant to survive” sends a message of courage and triumph to the reader.

Lorde’s essay entitled “Poetry Is Not a Luxury” was one of my favorites. I felt that I could relate to the women she described. While there were a few references to the “white fathers” that I did not agree with, the overall effect of the essay was a positive one. The line “For within living structures defined by profit, by linear power, by institutional dehumanization, our feelings were not meant to survive.” portrays how I feel in my line of work. I am employed by a very large worldwide corporation that specializes in engineering power plants. Growing up with a very strong arts and expression influence, it is such a drag to go to work in a cube processing meaningless documents day in and day out. There is no room for feelings in the corporate world (except for ambition – or any other feeling that benefits the company). I can’t help but wonder if this dehumanized, programmed way of life is what was intended for us. I believe that’s what Lorde means when she writes about poetry being a luxury – it is a means of self expression that takes a woman’s thoughts and puts them on paper as a foundation for change.