Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual African American Fiction
Edited by Devon W. Carbado, Dwight A. McBride, and Donald Weise
Paperback: 550 pages; Cleis Press;1573441082
Name a black glbt writer who was published before 1975--excluding James Baldwin & Audre Lorde. Okay, how many black bglt authors can you name from the harlem renaissance? from modern times? Black Like Us is the book for you.
From the Preface:Black Like Us is a fantastic book which looks at fiction by black same gender loving people from a historical prospective. The book is broken into three periods: The Harlem Renaissance (1900-1950), The Protest Era (1950-1980), and Coming Out Black, Like Us (1980-2000). Each section becomes with an essay about the historical period which, along with general information, brings together what was happening in the black community, the gay community, and the black gay community.
Stated simply, the purpose of this book is to showcase the African american lesbian, gay and bisexual literary tradition in a way that affirms rather than negates the interconnections among race, gender, and sexuality. To do so, Black Like Us brings together thirty-six authors who combined body of work covers one hundred years--from the writings of the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration of the Depression era to the protest literature of postwar civil rights activism and the fiction of the present day that unabashedly transcends sexual identity.
Some of the the authors covered, especially those in the Harlem Renaissance section, may be people you have heard about in English or Black Lit class but had no idea they were queer. Mini-biographies are included to get you better acquainted with the author before you dive into his/her work. Writer's featured include Angelina Weld Grimke, Countee Cullen, Donna Allegra, Michelle Cliff, and many more. This collection of work is only the tip of the iceburg. The editors include a great bibliography arranged by historic era and then by subject.
With a list price of $29.95, Black Like Us may seem a little pricey but it is worth every single penny and more. This book definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf.