by Women in the Weather Underground
Southpaw Culture
1975, 2006
SKU: 9781600019906
Published anonymously by Women in the Weather Underground Organization in 1975, these poems express solidarity with the victims of U.S. imperialism— at home and abroad— at a time when the poets were in hiding, labeled terrorists for their violent actions against American state. The poems range in intensity, clarity, and lyricism. Perhaps because they are "not professional poets," the value of poetry as cultural work shown in their poems shows what is possible for women writing and reading in a community. The introduction makes the purpose of the book clear:
"This is a women's book. During these years we have been part of the righteous struggles for the liberation of women. The active and principled sisterhood of women is a crucial part of the struggle to free all people. Unity among women enables us to be vigilant and forceful against sexism, to encourage and strengthen each other, and to develop a culture of resistance. We have worked hard to build a women's community: developing programs around women's issues, growing as fighters, reclaiming the true history of the people, and developing an ideology that integrates women's experience with that of the people as a whole."