'Zami' by Audre Lorde

I read Zami during freshman year of college, an 18-year-old new immigrant from Jamaica, still struggling with my sexuality. Zami made me realize that I was not alone as a black immigrant lesbian; that I, too, could be as courageous and as loud with my truths; that I could defy a legacy of silence through the power of the written word. Lorde inspired me to write for the next generation of girls—LGBT+ or otherwise—who need reminding that their voices matter, too. —Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Here Comes the Sun

I first read Zami when I was in high school. Zami made visible a life that up until then was invisible and impossible. Like me, Lorde was raised in New York City by West Indian parents. This book made plain the possibility of a decent, satisfying life as a black lesbian. In the last week, I've returned often to Lorde's poem, "A Litany for Survival," especially these lines: "and when we speak we are afraid / our words will not be heard / nor welcomed / but when we are silent / we are still afraid. So it is better to speak / remembering / we were never meant to survive." I'm writing in the tradition of Audre Lorde now, and as I mourn, I'm glad to have writing to help me move through this grief.—Naomi Jackson, author of [link href="https://www.amazon.com/Star-Side-Bird-Hill-Novel-ebook/dp/B00OZ0TLGA" link_updater_label="external" target="_blank"]The Star Side of Bird Hill