Video
Audio
Preserving Black History and Culture Through Literature
Playwright and novelist Ntzoake Shange, best known for her play For Colored Girls, joins Fresh Air to talk about the diversity of the black experience, her childhood and early education, and the criticism she sometimes gets from black male authors and playwrights.
Fresh Air, March 30, 1989
Ntozake Shange on Writing Her Own Words in Her Own Way
Ntozake Shange, a renowned feminist poet and playwright, has made significant contributions to black women’s storytelling for over four decades. Despite facing health challenges, including strokes and a neurological disorder, Shange has persevered and reemerged as an artist. She returned to the stage with solo performances, released a new poetry book titled “Wild Beauty,” and continued to mentor young poets. Shange reflects on the 1970s Black Feminist Arts Movement and advises aspiring artists to develop their audience before seeking commercial success. Her poetry has evolved due to her physical limitations but still explores themes related to the diasporic experience of enslaved people.
Shondaland, December 4, 2017
An Interview With Ntozake Shange
An interview with Ntozake Shange, a writer and activist, conducted by Brenda Lyons. Shange discusses her experiences with her acclaimed work “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf” and the backlash she faced as a black feminist writer. She reflects on being positioned as an angry young black feminist and how it has influenced her writing. Shange also addresses the criticism of her work as homophobic and explains that she was trying to be honest about the gay community and relationships. She mentions the changing language from “colored girls” to “people of color” and the link to her work. Finally, Shange mentions a movement away from radical feminist politics in her later works.
Massachusetts Review , December 4, 2017
Back At You: Ntozake Shange Minces No Words
Celebrated author Ntozake Shange shares her candid thoughts on a range of topics in an interview. She passionately criticizes the concept of the Bell Curve, arguing against the idea of intelligence superiority. Shange emphasizes the need to reclaim and reshape language to empower herself and others. She also discusses writing for young girls of color, aiming to provide a literary landscape they can relate to and find inspiration from. Shange dismisses the notion of separatism and challenges the limitations of multiculturalism, highlighting the power dynamics behind it. Furthermore, she talks about her collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on a play, and explains her reasons for staying in America, including her pride in her American daughter. Shange reflects on her life as a descendant of a slave and how it has influenced her boundaries and personal growth. Overall, her thoughts and experiences provide a thought-provoking and inspiring perspective on race, culture, and identity.
Mother Jones , February 1995