Notes

• "During her lifetime, Audre Lorde (1934-1992) created a mythic identity for herself that retains its vitality to this day. Alexis De Veaux demystifies Lorde’s iconic status, charting her childhood in Harlem in the conservative household of Caribbean-immigrant parents; her early marriage to a white, gay man with whom she had two children; her emergence as an outspoken, black, feminist, lesbian poet; and her canonization as a seminal poet of American literature. Lorde’s restless search for a spiritual home finally brought her to the island of St. Croix in 1986, where she died after a decade-long battle with breast cancer." "Drawing on the private archives of the poet’s estate, personal journals, and interviews with members of Lorde’s family, friends, and lovers, De Veaux asserts the cultural legacy of a woman who personified the defining civil rights struggles of the twentieth century. Lorde has become a symbol of literary success in American culture, not only for black women but also for African American artists, first-generation immigrants, feminists and lesbians, and cancer survivors. This biography is remarkable not just for being the first of its kind but also as an inspirational story of a courageous and truly free thinker, who made her voice heard despite the overwhelming majority and who left an indelible mark on American society. De Veaux pays homage to this warrior poet by detailing her strengths and her frailties, the humanity behind the icon."–BOOK JACKET