Voices Rising: Celebrating 20 Years of Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Writing (Other Countries III)
edited by
G. Winston James & Other Countries
Voices Rising: Celebrating 20 Years of Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Writing marks the twentieth anniversary of Other Countries—a small organization endeavoring to create a powerful, far-reaching, deliberate legacy of black queer expression. Voices Rising gathers more than sixty writers whose work forms an important bridge among members of black LGBT communities, charting two decades of evolution, accomplishment and struggle. The poems, short stories, essays, interviews and dramatic excerpts gathered here exemplify the personal, political and cultural complexities of identity, desire, family and community. In these pages established authors appear alongside emerging talents and heretofore unknown artists to compelling, historic effect. No other anthology so effectively represents the depth, breadth and brilliance of the current generation of black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender writers.
ISBN-10: 0-9786251-3-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-9786251-3-9
Specs: Softcover, 583 pp.
Price: $25.00
Pub. Date: January 2007
Cover photo © 1997 by G. Winston James
Cover design: D’Mon McNeil
Contributors
Praise for Voices Rising:
In recent years, RedBone Press has staked a critical reputation as a supportive home for a generation of black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered writers, including critic superb Ernest Hardy, novelist Sharon Bridgforth, and poet Samiya Bashir. Thus it is only fitting that RedBone Press would publish Voices Rising, a volume that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the founding of Other Countries, an artistic collective dedicated to the artistry of gay men of African heritage. The third volume in a series, Voices Rising is the first that is fully inclusive of the voices of black women. The collection is simply a must-read for those truly interested in recognizing the fullest breadth of black expression in our contemporary moment.
—Mark Anthony Neal, Vibe.com, July 17, 2007
The dedication page of Voices Rising bears a quotation from James Baldwin’s 1979 novel Just Above My Head. “Our history is each other. That is our only guide.” … Baldwin’s benign presence hovers beatifically over the volume, a presence marked not only by the frequent mention of his name but also by the recurring themes of black adolescence, violence, music, and the church, which are four important components of his work. To these four themes is added the dark thread of AIDS to produce a rich weave of writing. … G. Winston James and Other Countries deserve unstinting congratulations. All the contributions are informed by a keen awareness of the necessity for self-expression, which is an essential part of identity formation, which in turn gives rise to the need for a cultural, communal genealogy. One awaits the fourth volume with eagerness.
—Niladri Chatterjee, Gay & Lesbian Review/Worldwide, Sept-Oct 2007
This new anthology of emerging and established black LGBT writers broadens and illuminates the landscape of the black experience. Readers will recognize in these pages many award-winning and pioneering writers, such as critically acclaimed fiction writer Samuel R. Delany; political activist and poet Cheryl Clarke; Staceyann Chin of Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam; essayist Thomas Glave, author of Words to Our Now: Imagination and Dissent…Sharon Bridgforth, a playwright and poet; and Alexis De Veaux, the author of Warrior Poet: A Biography of Audre Lorde. The editors of [Voices Rising] have done an amazing job assembling a diverse range of styles and voices. …Chin’s story about young, black womanhood and sexual violence in Jamaica is chilling. Colin Robinson outlines the historical importance of black gay organizing and cultural work. Marvin K. White describes himself as “a blackbird…beat sound like night falling” in a poem that captures the anthology’s overarching themes of transcendence and rising above embattled circumstances. …Overall, the collection lives up to its promise of being inspirational and introduces to readers the newest and best of contemporary black LGBT writing.
—Vincent Woodard, Black Issues Book Review, May/June 2007
“Other Countries was founded 20 years ago as a collective committed to black gay male writers and writing, back when a mere handful of emerging African-American voices could be found on gay bookstore shelves. This hefty collection of more than 100 contributions from more than 60 writers expands on Other Countries' original focus on men to include essays, short stories, poems, interviews, and play excerpts from lesbians as well as bisexual and transgender writers. The result is a rich and hefty reader, and a generous testament to black literary accomplishment. Established authors like Jewelle Gomez, Marvin K. White, Cheryl Clarke, Reginald Shepherd, Letta Neely, and Samuel R. Delany stand out — but dozens of younger, newer voices also "rise" in this historic anthology, so many so good that singling out even a few would do a disservice to the rest. Voices Rising is a hymn to the power of words to build community, express emotion, realize dreams, and explore the complexities of identity.”
—Richard Labonte, Bookmarks column, April 23, 2007
