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A review by yikesbmg
Warrior Poet: A Biography of Audre Lorde by Alexis De Veaux
4.0
It took me a 2-3 weeks to get through this book. I appreciated it for giving me a fuller sense of who Audre Lorde was and why, though the author is very forthright about this being one vision of Lorde and not the the vision. I honestly didn’t love the vision portrayed — I don’t think that this book’s Lorde is someone I would have wanted to be friends with or really want to spend much time with. That’s ok, though, because before I had a very untouchable perception of Lorde as a writer, poet, etc.
I think this book does a tremendous job of putting events into context in a way that allows readers to appreciate Lorde’s actions and decisions more fully. I also really loved that they author shaded different perspectives on what Lorde perceived, particularly when it came to experiences Lorde based her experiences on. I have to say, reading about her approach to sexual relationships with other lesbian women, particularly those that were younger and adored/looked to her for mentorship, was very, very alarming. I am glad the author took time and space to mention it more than once.
If you want to learn more about Audre Lorde and get a sense for how complex of a person she was, I’d recommend this book. If you hold her in an unrealistic pedestal, I’d recommend this book, too. Not to knock her down it but to just fill out the edges of the person you respect. If you like reading good biographies, I’d recommend it as well.
I think this book does a tremendous job of putting events into context in a way that allows readers to appreciate Lorde’s actions and decisions more fully. I also really loved that they author shaded different perspectives on what Lorde perceived, particularly when it came to experiences Lorde based her experiences on. I have to say, reading about her approach to sexual relationships with other lesbian women, particularly those that were younger and adored/looked to her for mentorship, was very, very alarming. I am glad the author took time and space to mention it more than once.
If you want to learn more about Audre Lorde and get a sense for how complex of a person she was, I’d recommend this book. If you hold her in an unrealistic pedestal, I’d recommend this book, too. Not to knock her down it but to just fill out the edges of the person you respect. If you like reading good biographies, I’d recommend it as well.