African American women poets

  • The Lesbian Show – October 23, 1978: Varied Voices of Black Women

    This episode of The Lesbian Show features a conversation among three of the four women from “Varied Voices of Black Women,” a poetry and music production touring the north East Coast, produced by Mud Productions. The guests are pianist Mary Watkins (b. 1939), singer and percussionist Linda Tillery (b.1948), and poet Pat Parker (1944-1989). Gwen…

  • Sonia Sanchez / interviewed by David Henderson. (Episode 4 of 4)

    Sonia Sanchez (1934 – ), poet and co-founder of the Black Studies department at San Francisco State College, reads some of her poems and discusses her work with David Henderson, poet and editor of the 1967-68 anthology series Umbra. She reads Homecoming, Summary, The final solution/the leaders speak, To a jealous cat, Sonia’s blues, and…

  • The poet’s craft / June Jordan ; interviewed by Elly Bulkin.

    Interview with poet and author June Jordan (1936 – 2002) conducted by Elly Bulkin. They discuss Jordan’s third book of poetry, New Days: Poems of Exile and Return, which was just recently published. Jordan talks about how the poetry and novels all come from the same sense of urgency on her part to speak not…

  • Audre Lorde (Episode 4 of 4)

    Poet Audre Lorde reads selections of her own works. After introducing herself, Lorde reads the following poems: Teacher, (untitled), Change of season, The women of Dan dance with swords in their hands to mark the time when they were warriors, I ride with the sun, To my daughter the junkie on a train, Love poem,…

  • To create love with dry eyes: an interview with June Jordan by Deborah Morris.

    Poet, essayist, and novelist June Jordan is interviewed by author Deborah Morris. The two discuss Jordan’s work and career. Produced by Sophie’s Parlor Media Collective

  • Among all this, you stand like a fine brownstone : Gwendolyn Brooks / produced by Taliba Holliday.

    Poet Gwendolyn Brooks (1917 – 2000), the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1950, speaks with WPFW’s Kathy Anderson and Angelo Gregory on location at Washington, D.C.’s Black Repertory Theatre, where a play based on her work entitled “Among All This, You Stand Like a Fine Brownstone” was being staged.…

  • Our sheroes and heroes / Maya Angelou ; interviewed by Susan Anderson.

    Recording contains Susan Anderson’s 1976 interview with Maya Angelou, talking about her new book “Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas,” her first friendship with a white woman, her sense of religion, her career, and her never ending sense of frustration with her writing. Recording also includes excerpts from Angelou’s 1982 speech given at…

  • A conversation with Ntozake Shange / interviewed by Clare Spark

    Ntozake Shange, the black feminist poet, author of “For colored girls who have considered suicide, when the rainbow is enuf,” is interviewed by Clare Spark on The Sour Apple Tree. Shange discusses reactions to her work and emphasizes how the poems are misperceived by many critics. Ends with a one-minute cut from the album of…

  • An evening with Maya Angelou / produced by Lin Harris.

    Poet Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014) reads and sings passages from her two autobiographies, I know why the caged bird sings and Gather together in my name, and poetry from her two collections Just give me a good drink of water ‘fore I die and Oh pray my wings are gonna fit me well. She…

  • Sadie and Maude / Jeanette Henderson and Linda Taylor

    In this program of poetry, discussion and music dedicated to Angela Davis, two young Black women, Jeanette Henderson, wife and mother, and Linda Taylor, student, read the works of Black women poets Sojourner Truth, Jeanette MacDonald, Gwendolyn Brooks, Charlene Grant, and a poem titled “Inside the Church of the People” by an anonymous poet. Black…