Robin Miles! It was very exciting to hear the words of Audre Lorde read by one of the best audiobook narrators in the business. Mostly a combination of journal entries, this book was written during the last years of Lorde's life as she deals with liver cancer. As always, the racism and homophobia she fought are far too familiar, particularly in the beginning when she's talking about lesbians being portrayed as predators. In terms of the overarching fight with cancer, it was very sad to read that this brilliant woman was roped in by homeopathic "doctors" after dealing with dismissal, racism, and fatphobia from cancer doctors. My only concern about this republishing is that it might be intended to support "homeopathic medicine" or lead people to consider it as a good alternative to real medicine.

Thank you for Netgalley and OrangeSky audio for providing me with the audio arc in exchange for a honest review!
Genre: nonfiction
Minority representation: POC, LGBTQ+, Disability (Cancer)
Audre Lorde’s A burst of light comes out on audio the 31st of May 2022. This review will be based on the audiobook only.
First, let me begin with how well the audiobook was narrated. The soothing voice drew me into the story in a record time. Robin Miles, our narrator, tells the story of Lorde’s life spectacularly with enunciating the right words at the right time so the message of intersectionality comes across in the best way possible. Miles couldn’t have done a better job, even if they tried.
Now, into the story itself. Lorde writes about her cancer and the work she keeps doing alongside her medical journey. We get stories about conferences, intersectionality, Black culture, and Lorde’s view on being a lesbian and queer culture.
I know about Lorde from her earlier works, mainly, the master’s tool will never dismantle the master’s house. Here she makes a compelling case for intersectional feminism and rightly criticises the white feminist movement to still segregate race in their activism. In a burst of light, Lorde also speaks on these issues, but I sometimes had the feeling she was doing the exact same thing as white feminists, but within her own space, the Black community. You can definitely tell at some of those points in the book that it is an older text. Still, it’s amazing to read about the beginning of intersectional feminism of which we can’t deny Lorde laid the foundations.
Lorde’s writing is compelling and very much American, which I found interesting as someone who isn’t from there. You can definitely tell Lorde Lacked at some points the nuances of other countries histories, because she inserts American racial history into situations in foreign countries. I don’t think this is a negative thing, as it shows how deep American history is rooted in the African American community. It’s of excellent value to have this immortalised.
Lorde talks openly about her liver cancer and how for a long time she doesn’t believe the doctor’s diagnosis. She then proceeds to seek homeopathic help, until she can no longer deny that she has liver cancer. Some of her actions and writing was bordering on problematic, but at the end she pulled through with some amazing points! The most interesting things she spoke about concerning the medical field is how it’s all focused on money in the United States. How much will this thing cost? And not, how can we help you best? The distrust of medical assistance was jarring, but also eye-opening!
Lastly, Lorde writes about the lesbian and gay community. This is at the beginning of the book, and her points have definitely aged. Lorde speaks on Sadomasochism and the S/M community, mainly on power balances. We have to keep in mind that Lorde lived mainly in a time where the queer community weren’t allowed to express themselves. Lorde’s opinion baffled me, as she thinks the dominant and subordinate power structure in the S/M community is something the queer community shouldn’t hold on to. It’s a bad structure and holds the unfair power structure outside of the bedroom in place. While I agree with Lorde that we should keep the discussion of where the boundaries are in such relationships, I disagree that S/M is holding historical power structures in place.
To conclude this essay of a review, I had a lot of thoughts while listening to the wonderful audiobook and while Lorde proves she isn’t proves she isn’t a perfect robot of a human being, she has written a brilliant book about subjects we should discuss more often!

I was interested in this title because I had heard about Audre Lorde but hadn’t read anything by her. She was truly ahead of her time. Her account of the progression of her cancer and her stays at the clinic in Switzerland were poignant and richly detailed. Her insights are spot on and timeless. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.

Black freedom fighter's strength and signifying words. Essays. 1989 Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award

An extremely open and honest book written from outtakes of Audre Lordes essays and journals. An eye opener and a must read for anyone invested in social justice. Lorde’s lifelong experience as a black woman and a feminist lesbian, and latter cancer battle are raw honest and insightful, a remarkable woman.

<i>I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating.</i>

Lorde’s writing is inspiring, she talks about the civil rights movement, feminism and her identity as a black lesbian woman in America.

Reading her work is understanding the experience of a multitude of women. Her desire to own her body and to be herself, to be able to live and love freely, it all comes out in these journal entries.

“I want to live the rest of my life, however long or short, with as much sweetness as I can decently manage, loving all the people I love, and doing as much as I can of the work I still have to do. I am going to write fire until it comes out my ears, my eyes, my noseholes — everywhere. Until it’s every breath I breathe. I’m going to go out like a fucking meteor!”

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this novel. </i>

This is a reprint of her 1988 essay book. New to this edition are an introduction by Sonia Sanchez, an interview about sadomasochism, and three articles. This book chronicles her battles with racism, sexism, homophobia, and liver cancer. "Fighting racism, heterosexism, and apartheid are as urgent to me as fighting cancer," she said. Even the tiniest triumph shouldn't be taken for granted. Each triumph must be praised since it's simple to give up, accept, and call that acceptance inevitable.

Her essays are poetic. Even her cancer journal entries, which make up most of the book, are sad yet well-written. "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it's self-preservation, and that's political warfare," she said. Through her writing, you can sense and feel her struggle, as if she's thinking out loud, yet always representing a fierce self-determination and self-identity. Her remarks are hopeful, compassionate, and passionate. A must-have essay anthology.

I listened to the updated audiobook version on NetGalley! Audre Lorne’s writing style is so wonderful, I always love her essays. She speaks on a number of social issues including homophobia, parenting, racism, intersectional feminism and genocide. This updated release also included journal entries about her battles with cancer and dealing with medical racism as a black woman and an interview on Sadomasochism in the lesbian community. I didn’t fully agree with the interview just because it felt dated and lacked a certain understanding of BDSM culture. So thankful to have listened to this, you can’t go wrong reading/listening to Lorde essays.

I’m thrilled to have chosen this Audiobook as the narrator has done a fantastic job of being clear and crisp. I give it 3 stars for being informative, well descriptive and a fresh approach to this subject.

How well do I know who you are? Is the best way I could summarize my review on this audiobook. A collection of essays is a collection of prose that focuses on the experiences and beliefs of Audre Lorde, a self proclaimed Black Lesbian Feminist poet. For a new comer to this subject, this book is full of interesting information told from Lorde’s view point.

“To acknowledge privilege is the first step in making it available for wider use. Each of us is blessed in some particular way, whether we recognize our blessings or not.“.

Although the reader, especially if not a woman of color, may at times feel disconnected from the author and quite possibly derided by her attitude, at the very least from this book the reader abstracts another person’s view on subjects such as lesbian sadomasochism, stereotypes, child rearing, and apartheid. More importantly, the reader gains insight into one Black Lesbian Feminist’s life in the 1980’s.

It reminds me and shall do the same for other readers too, that Lorde expresses ideas about a topic which are important to consider, as she represents a part of the population that is not always heard from.

If we need to understand anything at all, it’s here where we need to begin….understanding our fellow humans. Our voice tells others who we are.

Audre Lorde is a genius and never misses the target. Even now, thirty years after her passing, her words ring relevant and true. Her words and mind and mission remain unparalleled.