Lost in Language and Sound

Starred review from October 31, 2011
Award-winning poet, playwright, and novelist Shange (Betsey Brown) immerses the reader in the written and spoken fabric of her upbringing and her life as an artist in this evocative melding of essay and memoir. Language is examined and celebrated, moving beyond the written word and into the realm of performance, particularly Shange’s most famous work, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, which she describes as a “choreopoem.” The raw power of her writing, from the subject matter to her unconventional punctuation, aligns perfectly with the crescendo of for colored girls’s success, beginning small in the backrooms of California’s bars and ending up on Broadway. Shange also hones in on language’s dual power of expression and exploitation, most adroitly in “2 Live Crew,” where she makes a compelling case against the misogynistic lyrics of many black male rap groups and their effect on black women. Music and dancing play huge roles in her life, from her parents’ penchant for jazz and blues to her own need to express herself through dance, as well as incorporating performance into her written work. In “dear daddy, ‘el amor que tu me das...,’” one of the quietest and most moving pieces despite its aural undertones, Shange tells her deceased father that there’s “no music I hear without sensing you.” This is a profoundly personal yet all-encompassing exploration of words, movement, and the state of race in America.

June 1, 2012
Shange, acclaimed novelist, poet, and playwright ("For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf"), seemed not simply to find her way to the arts but, rather, was born to create movement and sound as evidenced by each carefully selected word in these essays. She grew up surrounded by music and dance, and her parents nurtured her artistic talents. Part autobiography and part literary criticism, these essays span several decades and share her personal experience as an African American woman in the arts. She also puts forth her thoughts on racism, the exploitation of women, therapy, and relationships with men, among other topics. Narrator Allyson Johnson does an admirable job of bringing the rhythm of Shange's words to life. VERDICT Readers unfamiliar with Shange may want to spend time exploring some of her previous work before approaching these essays, but fans will find them satisfying. ["Recommended for...readers in search of distinct voices that have influenced later artists," read the review of the St. Martin's hc, "LJ" Xpress Reviews, 12/16/11.--Ed.]--Theresa Horn, St. Joseph Cty. P.L., South Bend, IN

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