February 14, 2019
Sinister Wisdom Sisters,
This February, Sinister Wisdom celebrates the one year anniversary of Sister Love: The Letters of Audre Lorde and Pat Parker 1974-1989! The remarkable bond between the two lesbian-mother-warrior-poets is illuminated in Sister Love through their 15-year long correspondence. With handwritten and typed letters and postcards, the correspondence of Lorde and Parker included various items such as articles, money, and video tapes. Sister Love gives readers intimate insight into Lorde and Parker's relationship through their in-depth discussions of their work as writers and activists, as well as the personal details of their exceptional lives-- including the periods when each lived with cancer.
During these troubling times, and in the midst of Black History Month, the importance of reading and reflecting on the words and philosophy of radical lesbian black feminist is important and meaningful. Sister Love is an exceptional and rare opportunity to experience the distinctive friendship of two great twentieth-century poets. The words of these two remarkable women are not to be missed-- buy Sister Love here! Sister Love can also be purchased in the Pat Parker Collection available which features Strong, Sinister Wisdom 102: The Complete Works of Pat Parker, and Sister Love: The Letters of Audre Lorde and Pat Parker 1974-1989. The Complete Works of Pat Parker.
Excitingly, Sinister Wisdom is celebrating the one-year anniversary of another landmark work of African American lesbians! Happy Birthday Sinister Wisdom 107: Black Lesbians-- We are the Revolution! This issue uplifts the powerful voices of African American lesbians and their unique experiences. This issue features the compelling work of Pamela Sneed, Charan P. Morris, Nikkya Hargrove, and many more! This work enlightens readers to the struggles and immense joys of queer black women experience, highlighting the importance of their intersectional identity. All readers, thinkers, and activists will be enthralled by the contemporary works within Black Lesbians-- We are the Revolution, and engage us all to live and exist proactively and progressively within lesbian spaces. The cover for the issue features the strikingly photography of Akinfe Fatou and model Amadi Agbomah. Afrinke's artist statement resonates the powerful work and intention of Black Lesbians-- We are the Revolution, which is still available for order!
“Black lesbians have always been at the forefront of change leading the charge for equality and redefining beauty standards and cultural norms. Liberation depicts afro expressionism, womanism and protest: a Black lesbian in full authority of her agency and her faculties fiercely proclaiming to the world... my divine body, my human rights, my conscious choice.”
Sinister Wisdom prides itself on the intentional elevation of contemporary lesbian thought and artistry, as well as the archival and longevity of lesbian words from the near past. The words of lesbian women from the early years of Sinister Wisdom should be accessible to future generations of lesbians to read and be inspired by.
With this mission in mind, Sinister Wisdom is pleased to announce new additions to the Sinister Wisdom Digital Archive! Many issues from 1976-2001 are already available online as downloadable PDFs, such as Sinister Wisdom 1 from 1976, Sinister Wisdom 9: Bull Dyke from 1979, and Sinister Wisdom 53: Old Lesbians/Dykes from 1994. Sinister Wisdom continuously works to digitize and archive back issues from the recent past, and within the last month have added the following issues, spanning 10 years from 1998 to 2008.
Sinister Wisdom 58: Open Issue
Sinister Wisdom 63: Lesbians and Nature
Sinister Wisdom 65: Lesbian Mothers & Grandmothers
Sinister Wisdom 66: Lesbians and Activism
Sinister Wisdom 67: Lesbians and Work
Sinister Wisdom 68/69: Death, Grief and Surviving
Sinister Wisdom 70: 30th Anniversary Celebration
Sinister Wisdom 71: Open Issue
Sinister Wisdom 72: Utopia
Sinister Wisdom 73: The Art Issue
And more issues are on their way! Sinister Wisdom is dedicated to sharing this wonderful herstory for everyone to appreciate and inspired by. In addition, many back issues of Sinister Wisdom are available in print--dating back to 1989! Click here to buy some Sinister Wisdom classics.
The artistry and profound wisdom of lesbians globally has oftentimes been ignored or disparaged, but through the strength and perseverance, lesbians have always been at the core of subversive creativity and philosophy. Through publications like Sinister Wisdom, throughout the decades lesbians have been able to cultivate a space by and for lesbian artistry. The new Sinister Wisdom Collection: Dyke Creativity is a package aimed to illuminate the revolutionary creativity of lesbians from the recent past. The Dyke Creativity Collection features Sinister Wisdom 51: New Lesbian Writing, Sinister Wisdom 73: The Art Issue, and Sinister Wisdom 81: Lesbian Poetry - When? And Now!. These issues were created to connect the lesbian artistic community near and far and build a greater community of discussion of intersectionality through art. From the poetry of Jewelle Gomez, Judith Barrington, Audre Lorde, Pat Parker, and Sappho, as well as a transcript from a speech at the 1993 March on Washington, to the visual arts of paintings, sculptures, quilts, and photographs by lesbians everywhere, this vital collection is a must for all lesbians who look towards the past to nurture the dyke creativity of today! Click here to buy this new collection before it sells out!
Sinister Wisdom is offering this collection at three rates with our usual sliding scale: $4.00 which covers the cost of postage only, $10.00 which covers postage and a small contribution to Sinister Wisdom to help us keep doing our work, $15 is for womyn who can give a little more to Sinister Wisdom and cover the cost of the issues and postage. Make your selection at the Sinister Wisdom website, and I'll post these issues to you without delay. Order a set for you--and a set to share with a friend. We need lesbian words and ideas now more than ever to resist Trump and this era of US politics.
Do you love Sinister Wisdom and want a fun way to show your pride and dedication to lesbian voices? Look no further, the Sinister Wisdom Lesbian Badge of Honor is available to purchase! Put this badge on a jean jacket, your backpack or purse, pin it to your wall, or give it to a friend! Take pride in your resistance. Buy one for yourself and your friends here.
What are you doing today to celebrate lesbians, lesbian love, and lesbian creativity? Maybe Sinister Wisdom can be a part of your celebration!
Until next time, I remain, yours in sisterhood,
Julie
Julie R. Enszer, PhD
Editor and Publisher, Sinister Wisdom
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