Sing a Black Girl's Song

In the late 60s, Ntozake Shange was a young student at Barnard College discovering her budding talent as a writer, publishing in her school’s literary journal, and finding her unique voice. By the time she left us in 2018, Shange had scorched blazing trails across countless pages and stages, redefining genre and form as we know it.

Sing a Black Girl’s Song is a new posthumous collection of unpublished works from throughout the life of this seminal Black feminist writer. In these pages we meet young Shange, learn the moments that inspired for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf…, travel with an eclectic family of musicians, sit on “The Couch” opposite Shange’s therapist, and discover plays written after for colored girl’s' international success. Sing a Black Girl’s Song houses the literary rebel’s politically charged verses from the Black Arts Movement era alongside her signature tender rhythm and cadence that capture the minutia and nuance of Black life, and is a long-lasting gift from one of the fiercest and most highly celebrated artists of our time. 

Ntozake Shange, author of 36 published works, is increasingly recognized as one of America’s greatest writers having, for 50 years, embodied the struggle of women of color for equality and the recognition of their contribution to human culture. Her "choreo-poem", for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow Is enuf, recorded a 2 ½ year run on Broadway and has remained in print since 1974.  That production retains its title as the longest-running play by an African American writer in Broadway history. A revival of for colored girls…, opened in the 2022 Broadway season to unanimous critical acclaim and seven TONY Award nominations. Ntozake’s literary legacy, preserved in the Shange Institute at Barnard College, comprises 13 plays, seven novels, six children’s books and 19 poetry collections, the majority of which are published and in print. She is posthumously inducted into both the NY State Writer’s Association and the Off-Broadway Alliance Halls of Fame. Her poetry collection “Wild Beauties” was received enthusiastically in 2018. A semi-autobiographical work entitled “Dance We Do” was released in 2020 from Beacon Press. 2022 has seen the collaborative establishment of the Ntozake Shange Social Justice Playwright Residency by Barnard College, the NY Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater and the Ntozake Shange Revocable Trust and Shange’s induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

• Publisher:‎ Legacy Lit (September 12, 2023)
• Language:‎ English
• Hardcover:‎ 464 pages
• ISBN-10: 0306828510
• ISBN-13: ‎9780306828515
• Item Weight:‎ 1.74 pounds