Zami: A New Spelling of My Name - A Biomythography (Crossing Press Feminist Series)

I was interested in this book because I wanted to know more about Audre Lorde. I’ve read Sister Outsider before this one and so this was different than what I was expecting. Whereas Sister Outsider was a bit more intellectual, Zami was written as if Lorde was just sitting and talking about her life. It’s was very good and I chewed through it quickly. I’m not sure where the “myth” portion of the biomythography came in though.

Audre Lorde is one of my favorite writers and I have read Sister Outsider many, many times. Zami is not the right way to be introduced to Lorde in my opinion, but for fans of Lorde I think it provides a TON of context to her writing to understand her childhood and young adult environment and how she grew up and started coming to consciousness. I was surprised that the book ended with her still in her early 20s, before she really became a writer. Parts of the book were definitely slow for me - compared to her compact, highly charged essays where every sentence packs a punch, the writing here in many places is languid...not in a bad way, but very different. While not my favorite work by her, I'm really glad that I read it and am excited to go back and read her essays and understand where she is coming from in a new light.

I am not gay, and knew little of the NY life, gay or straight ,before the 1950s, so the book was a revelation for me. Explicit depictions of lesbian lovemaking, even when poetic, were disturbing for me.. Sometimes.the novel was boring, with too many characters and detail, easily forgotten. I would have liked more poetry. However, it was of interest as an unusual coming of age story by a woman who learns to accept herself despite being an outsider in many ways.

I was a little lost in all the white ladies who made appearances and then never returned to the page, but otherwise it is such a perfect biography of longing. If there are two writers you ever read from the 20th century, make it James Baldwin and Audre Lorde.

Beautiful prose. Almost poetic in the beginning. But then the author drifts into the weeds and the details and the meandering is boring and tiresome. Would love to reach the end of a fairly long story but I am on my hands and knees trying to deal with all the characters and distractions. However, I do like the gist that I gather from other reviews … a woman from childhood becoming aware of her sexuality. Great subject!

One of my favorites. About a time that was far from 2021 when LGBT had zero rights and were regularly persecuted and prosecuted. Add race to it and it’s another focal point for abuse.Awesome strong characters of those who paved the way. 👍👍

I read this book for my Women Novelist class where we are focusing on Lesbian Fiction. First off, I was sad that I wasn't exposed to Audre Lorde before because none of my previous classes talk about Lesbian Fiction at all.I loved it. Partly because I could relate to Audre's culture and the other part is I can relate how it's like to be the different person trying to fit into a world you don't see much of "you" in. Let me tell you, if you are not an English major, you will read this novel as strange. You can't just read it for what it is! Try to analyze it. Don't take it all for the the meaning of the words on the page.It was well written and I loved the seeing how even in Audre's indifference to her surroundings she found a place she really did fit in. It also made me very interested in reading more of her work.

This memoir blew me away. Audre Lorde writes poetically, and captures your attention right away. She doesn't shy away from the racism and queermisia that happened in her life while she was growing up as a Black lesbian woman in New York. But I could really connect with Audre, and I already know I will be re-reading Zami in the future.

This a wonderfully evocative rendering of a black woman's childhood and young adulthood, from the 1930s - 1950s, mostly in New York City. So detailed you can taste the food, or smell the garlic and spices being ground for her favourite childhood meal, just one gift from her immigrant Caribbean parents. If you want to know what a little corner of Mexico was like filled with Americans fleeing the McCarthy purges, it's here. If you want to know what the East Village and LGBTQ culture was like for a young Black lesbian, it's here. Along with all the complications of trying to forge an identity and learn to love herself, and trying to learn how to love others. A great book.

Audre Lorde was a prominent activist, poet, feminist and womanist. Zami (her "biomythography") begins with her as a small child and carries through to her early lesbian experiences, growing up and falling in love. Audre's writing is beautiful, absolutely enriching to the senses - potential side of effect of being so poorly sighted I wonder?Zami is a Carriacou word for women working together as friends or lovers, and this book charts those meaningful relationships throughout her young life. Arguably less well known than I Know Why The Caged Bird sings, but they share a lot of themes of growing up black, poor and carving out a life of their own amidst structural oppression and racism in America. I love Audre's prose, bluntness, honesty, and plan to embark into her poetry this year too.A must read for fans of Maya Angelou. I recommend following up this with Sister Outsider, her book of essays.

I've had this on my reading list for years and I'm so disappointed I didn't read it sooner. Within a page I was hooked and counted her amongst the best writers of all time - such a deep, meaningful prose. Haunting and painful. It really takes you back to that period; and I keep checking the dates and being so amazed by how ahead of its time it was. Lorde set the foundations for contemporary poetry and literature.

This book tells of the early part of Audre Lordes life and in doing so a huge amount about women’s lives, in particular Black lesbian women’s lives in the US in the 50s. The language is rich and unctuous as you’d expect and I’d rather like part 2 now.

I'm a third of the way in this book, because it's a book clubs choice, is why I'm reading this.I can't say I'm enjoying it so far. It's not the worst so far, but its certainly not that good also.If it was a book not from a book club, I would not keep on reading it