Does Your Mama Know?

An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories

Plot

A collection of 49 stories, poems, essays and interviews about coming out as a black lesbian.

Contents:
1985: memories of my coming out year / Hope Massiah --
A letter for life / Arlene Williams --
A path to wholeness / Martine C. Barbier --
A short account of my behavior / Terri Jewell --
And now they know / Sheree Slaughter --
Be still and know / Brigitte M. Roberts --
Bed of thorns / Gale "Sky" Edeawo --
Bird of paradise / Alexis De Veaux --
Bits and pieces / Imani Henry --
Black triangles, rainbows and dykes / L.K. Barnett --
cabaret / mistinguette --
Class reunion / Liza Wesley --
Cleo's gone / Gwendolyn Bikis --
Coming out story / Michele Hunter --
From a lesbian womb into a lesbian world: coming out / Laura Irene Wayne --
Halfway home: interview with Katherine James / Denise Moore --
I guess I never will / Tonda Clarke --
I lost it at the movies / Jewelle Gomez --
Interview with Stephanie Byrd / Terri Jewell --
It happened one Sunday afternoon / L.K. Barnett --
Johnnieruth / Becky Birtha --
Lavender sheep in the fold / Donna Allegra --
Letter to Carolyn / Michelle Wilkinson --
Long way home / Tiffani Frazier --
Man royals and Sodomites: some thoughts on the invisibility of Afro-Caribbean lesbians / Makeda Silvera --
Mavis writes in her journal / Cheryl Clarke --
Me, growing up, (part 1) / Letta Neely --
Miss Ruth / Terri Jewell --
Mommy always knows / Kimberly "Q" Purnell --
Mothers know / Shay Youngblood --
No half steppin' / Shilanda Woolridge --
notes to momma / akhaji zakiya --
Pure / Tonia Bryan --
Q & A / Karen Thompson --
Spice / Mattie Richardson --
that beat / sharon bridgforth --
The journey / Ekua Omosupe --
The making of an orphan: the death of a daughter's place in the family / sherece taffe --
The woman in me / Roxane Gay --
The words I know, the way I understand / Tonia Bryan --
This is not done / Michele Hunter --
this lesbian poem / akhaji zakiya --
untitled / Nailah Taliba Tulinegwe --
untitled (4/'91) / Renita Martin --
Waiting to exhale: interview with Gina Taylor / Denise A. Moore --
we will not talk about this / Eva Yaa Asantewaa --
When I was a little girl / Lena-Nsomeka Gomes --
Without thinking / Liz Messerly --
You ask why I stayed married all those years / mistinguette.