''Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought'' is a nonfiction debut anthology edited by Briona Simone Jones. It includes essays, poetry, and other writings by Black lesbian feminists such as

Audre Lorde Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," who ...

Cheryl Clarke Cheryl L. Clarke (born Washington DC, May 16, 1947) is an American lesbian poet, essayist, educator and a Black feminist community activist who continues to dedicate her life to the recognition and advancement of Black and Queer people. Her schol ...

, and Bettina Love. The book was published by

The New Press The New Press is an independent non-profit public-interest book publisher established in 1992 by André Schiffrin Judy Grahn Award The Judy Grahn Award is an annual literary award, presented by Publishing Triangle to honour works of non-fiction of relevance to the lesbian community. First presented in 1997, the award was named in memory of American poet and cultural theorist J ...

and the Lambda Literary Award for Anthology.

Synopsis

''Mouths of Rain'' is a compilation of writings spanning 1909 to 2019 from Black lesbian women and others who have had intimate relationships with other Black women. It was intended as a companion to the 1995 anthology ''Words of Fire'' by

Beverly Guy-Sheftall Beverly Guy-Sheftall (born June 1, 1946, in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American Black feminist scholar, writer and editor, who is the Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women's Studies and English at Spelman College, in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the fou ...

, and contains writings by:

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was aw ...

Pauli Murray Anna Pauline "Pauli" Murray (November 20, 1910 – July 1, 1985) was an American civil rights activist who became a lawyer, gender equality advocate, Episcopal priest, and author. Drawn to the ministry, in 1977 she became one of the first women ...

Barbara Smith Barbara Smith (born November 16, 1946) is an American lesbian feminist and socialist who has played a significant role in Black feminism in the United States. Since the early 1970s, she has been active as a scholar, activist, critic, lecturer, au ...

, and Bettina Love. The contents include essays, poetry, short fiction, and personal recollections. The anthology is divided into five sections, each with a different broad focus: uses of the erotic; interlocking oppressions and identity politics; coming out and stepping into; the sacred; and radical futurities. Topics covered include sexism,

Afrofuturism Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, and philosophy of science and history that explores the intersection of the African diaspora culture with science and technology. It addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technocu ...

, and white reviewers. The editor, Briona Simone Jones, is a Black lesbian feminist of African American and Jamaican descent. She received her doctoral degree in English from

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

in 2021. Jones' stated goal was to "trace the trajectories of liberation, from self to community, through Black lesbian thought".

Reception

''Mouths of Rain'' received positive critical reception. ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' gave the anthology a starred review in which Ahliah Bratzler wrote: "...an essential component to any social science shelf, ''this'' is transformative, vital reading." Charles Green of

Lambda Literary The Lambda Literary Foundation (also known as Lambda Literary) is an American LGBT literature, LGBTQ literary organization whose mission is to nurture and advocate for LGBTQ writers, elevating the impact of their words to create community, prese ...

praised the collection as a "timely anthology of writings that will certainly spark conversations, connections, and ideas, both within the community and beyond." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' referred to it as "inspiring and prodigious."

Publication

Accolades

* 2022 – Winner, Lambda Literary Award for Anthology * 2022 – Winner, The

Judy Grahn Award The Judy Grahn Award is an annual literary award, presented by Publishing Triangle to honour works of non-fiction of relevance to the lesbian community. First presented in 1997, the award was named in memory of American poet and cultural theorist J ...

for Lesbian Nonfiction

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links