Brilliant, lyrical, and passionate, this collection from the acclaimed poet M. NourbeSe Philip is an extended jazz riff running along the themes of language, racism, colonialism, and exile. In this groundbreaking collection, Philip defiantly challenges and resoundingly overthrows the silencing of black women through appropriation of language, offering no less than superb poetry resonant with beauty and strength. She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks was originally published in 1989 and won the Casa de Las Americas Prize. This new Wesleyan edition includes a foreword by Evie Shockley. An online reader's companion will be available at http://nourbesephilip.site.wesleyan.edu.

A haunting lifeline between archive and memory, law and poetry

A beautifully written and paced story, sure to capture the imagination of both teenagers and adult readers.

Now in its 7th printing: A woman, travelling alone through time, Africa, and unnamed lands, searches for Dr. David Livingstone, celebrated by the West as a "discoverer" of Africa. Looking for Livingstone explodes Western assumptions about the "silence" of indigenous peoples; this is an elegant work which beautifully gives voice to the ancestors to whom it is dedicated.

ALL THE TRUTH THAT'S IN ME is many things. It is a true romance, a story of desperate yearning and unrequited love. It's a page-turning mystery full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. But most of all, it's an empowering drama about a girl's journey from victim to hero. Judith can't speak. Ever since the horrifying trauma that left her best friend dead and Judith without her tongue, she's been a pariah in her close-knit community of Roswell Station; even her own mother won't look her in the eye. All Judith can do is silently pour out her thoughts and feelings to the love of her life, the boy who's owned her heart as long as she can remember - even if he doesn't know it - her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked by enemies, long-buried secrets come to light . . . and Judith's world starts to shift on its axis. Before she knows it, Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if what she has to say might change her world, and the lives around her, forever.

Presents the text of Alice Walker's story "Everyday Use"; contains background essays that provide insight into the story; and features a selection of critical response. Includes a chronology and an interview with the author.