I'd never heard of Audre Lorde until midway through last year, shortly after the controversy that followed my publishing a review of Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr's work
A Gift of Love. (In short a seemingly innocent--and glowing--review of a work about the civil rights movement in twentieth century America was repeatedly banned on various social media channels.) The work piqued my interest in learning more about the civil rights movement and discovering some of the prominent people within it. As a consequence I discovered Audre Lorde, a poet, feminist and civil rights activist from New York. The Black Unicorn is a stunning collection of poetry that examines womanhood from various angles, mostly exposing feminine vulnerability and feminine strength in all of its glory.
This was a stunning collection. I enjoyed it best by reading just a few poems each day, which made them feel more impactful. It forced me to think about race, racial stereotypes and just how powerful it can be when anyone from a minority is given room to speak for themselves, rather than having others speak for them--irrespective of how well intentioned that may be.
Highly recommended.
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