A Whorl of Poetry

Index of Authors

A Daughter's Geography

Ntozake Shange has written at least the following books:

Poetry: Ridin' the moon in Texas; Word paintings (1987) From okra to greens (1984) A Daughter's Geography (1983) Nappy Edges (1978)

Fiction: Sassafrass, cypress, and indigo Betsey Brown Plays: for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf (1977)

how many colors is the sound of you put to coral skies/dusk/in amber & midnite reds/ if i say yr name wd the words roll like pomegranates from everyone's mouth/ what language fits our needs we are so far gone/ we dont know sanskrit i dont want a saxophone/ i like greens say how to reach you so i am clear/ you'd know pearl harbour day/ bastille day/ the day they invaded cambodia/ is known to you/ all that death/ all the bleedin' & screams/ are clear/ say how to reach you with love/ i am like air now/ everywhere/ speakin/ whispers behind yr back around the corner/ talkin abt you/ upstairs in hushes/ yr name/ i stop you outside deux maggots/ i say simply/ darling/ give me yr tongue. -- From "Okra to Greens Again (Special Delivery)" A Daughter's Geography (1983), p. 64.

Links: There is an official site with lots of great info & links -- I especially like the "20 List" that allows one to check out authors' favourite books. A page for Ntozake Shange put together by Henry Holt & Co.: contains a pic and 2 of her later poems. An interview with Shange, by Rebecca Carroll for Mother Jones magazine (January-February, 1995) A bio at women of Color, women of Words. 3 poems, including "you are sucha fool". A neat annotated set of Shange links at Broward Community College library. An interview with Shange by Edward K. Brown for Multimanifestations. [Requires PDF] A couple of quotations at Women's History. 1 poem and a bibliography/bio at Poets.org.

i was cold / i was burnin up / a child & endlessly weavin garments for the moon wit my tears i found god in myself & i loved her / i loved her fiercely.