Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity [Paperback]

G. Winston James (Editor), Lisa C. Moore (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2006

Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity is a collection of essays centering on the relationships between spirituality, religion and self-acceptance.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity, more than 40 writers address the question of how same-gender-loving black people affirm themselves as sexual and spiritual people. These sacred narratives are a canon for survival--holy texts proclaiming the divinity of their lives, the righteousness of their love, and the sanctity of their being.

About the Author

G. Winston James is a Jamaican-born poet, short fiction writer, essayist and editor. He holds in MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and is the author of the poetry collections The Damaged Good and the Lambda Literary Award-nominated Lyric: Poems Along a Broken Road. A former executive director of Other Countries, James is a founding organizer of Fire & Ink: A Writers Festival for GLBT People of African Descent. James is co-editor of the historic anthologies Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity, and Voices Rising: Celebrating 20 Years of Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Writing.

Lisa C. Moore is the founder and editor of RedBone Press, which publishes work that celebrates the culture of black lesbians and gay men and further promotes understanding between black gays and lesbians and the black mainstream.

Product Details

• Paperback: 391 pages
• Publisher: RedBone Press (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965665933
• ISBN-13: 978-0965665933
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,392,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Water For My Thirst, November 10, 2006

By 

J D (Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity (Paperback)

Spirited is a must-read for people who question the "rightness" of being gay. (I use the term gay for both men and women.)

Kathleen E. Morris, Jorhán Mbonisi, Linda Villarosa and Tawanna Sullivan provide ammunition to fire back on anyone who has something negative to say about being gay.

And I was moved by the great prose and inspirational accounts of Mona De Vestal, Kenyon Farrow, Michaela Harrison, and Rev. Karen G. Thompson.

Then there are the "spirit" writings, the amazing pens of Daniel Alexander Jones, Bahíyyih Maroon, and Natasha Tinsley.

Also, many stories deal with coming to terms with so-called christianity and homophobia. C. C. Carter, Clarence Fluker, and Dorothy Harris stood out for me in this area.

There are many other great accounts in Spirited (including intellectual fodder). All of these writers share their challenging journeys to self-acceptance and god-love. Some honor a Christian God; some African Orishas; some follow Buddhism; some Witchcraft; and some choose to be Free, preferring a one-on-one relationship with God and the Universe without denominational atttachment.

Spirited is a needed balm for gays who are struggling with self-acceptance. It is also a great read for "non-gays" who wonder or worry about the spiritual life and health of their gay friends, family members, or simply gay people in general.

Enjoy!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What we've been waiting for....., October 28, 2006

By 

Tonda S. Clarke (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity (Paperback)

This is what we've been waiting for....an opportunity for African American GLBT voices to be heard in a non-sexual way. But not only GLBT voices but any voice that identifies as a whole human being. We are not just booties shaking and penises swanging. We are multi-faceted, complex, sophisticated, human beings who have grown tired of being boxed into an identity that does not allow us the space to be all of who we are. Thank you Redbone Press, for giving us a voice.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you!, June 1, 2006

By 

C. Jenkins "CJ" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity (Paperback)

So many different stories, yet they all ring of the same truth. Spirituality is not about politics or judgement...it's about love and loving ourselves. Thank you G. Winston and Lisa for letting our voices be heard!