Lesbian Herstory Archives AudioVisual Collections

Audre Lorde audio recordings, 1977-1986

Title

Description

Audre Lorde (February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was a celebrated and influential Caribbean-American poet, novelist, autobiographer, and publisher whose art and life explored issues of race, class, sexuality, gender, and illness.

The cassettes in this collection were deposited at the LHA by various donors. They document various public events including the 1979 National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights, a 1982 poetry reading, and writing conferences in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Collection Items

Astraea Benefit, "Conversation with Poems," 1981 (Tape 1 of 2)

Benefit for the Astraea Foundation, "Conversation with Poems." Introduced by unnamed speaker. Poetry reading and conversation with Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich; includes speech, poetry, and remarks.

Tags Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, Identity, Lesbians of Color, Poetry, Racism
Astraea Benefit, "Conversation with Poems," 1981 (Tape 2 of 2)

Benefit for the Astraea Foundation, "Conversation with Poems." Poetry reading and conversation with Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich; includes speech, poetry, and remarks.

Tags Adrienne Rich, Anti-Semitism, Audre Lorde, Holocaust, Jewish Lesbians, Lesbians of Color, Poetry, Racism, Writing
Conflicts in the Black Lesbian Community, Brooklyn NY, organized by the Committee on the Visibility of the Other Black Woman (Tape 1 of 3)

Event organized by the Committee for the Visibility of the Other Black Woman. Audre Lorde moderates community discussion and dialogue including issues of identity, cross cultural conflicts, classism, and ageism. She also introduces panelists' presentations. Her most sustained comments are on SPW1163, as she introduces the panel on identity.

Tags Ageism, Audre Lorde, Class, Identity, Lesbians of Color
Conflicts in the Black Lesbian Community, Brooklyn NY, organized by the Committee on the Visibility of the Other Black Woman (Tape 2 of 3)

Event organized by the Committee for the Visibility of the Other Black Woman. Audre Lorde moderates community discussion and dialogue including issues of identity, cross cultural conflicts, classism, and ageism. She also introduces panelists' presentations. Her most sustained comments are on SPW1163, as she introduces the panel on identity.

Tags Ageism, Audre Lorde, Butch and Femme, Class, Communities, Culture, Discrimination, Identity
Conflicts in the Black Lesbian Community, Brooklyn NY, organized by the Committee on the Visibility of the Other Black Woman (Tape 3 of 3)

Audre Lorde moderates community discussion and dialogue including issues of identity, cross cultural conflicts, classism, & ageism. She also introduces panelists

Tags Ageism, Audre Lorde, Butch and Femme, Class, Communities, Gender, Identity
Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center (2nd Tuesday Series), 1986

Audre Lorde reading her poems for the "2nd Tuesday Series" at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, New York City. Side A: Recorded at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, New York City. Sponsored by the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, Women's Poetry Center at Hunter College, New York. Poet Audre Lorde reads thirteen poems many from her new book. [Poems: Notes from a Trip to Russia, Sisters in Arms, Holographs, Political Relations, A Question of Climate, There are No Honest Poems about Dead Women, A Question of Essence, For the Record: (In memory of Eleanor Bumpurs), Making Love to Concrete, Women on Trains. Never to Dream of Spiders and Call.] Side B: Question and answer session with a collection for the Sisters in Support of South Africa.

Tags Audre Lorde, Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Feminism, Lesbians of Color, Poetry
"Lesbians and Literature" panel discussion at MLA conference, 1977

Preceded by short presentation from representative of the recently vandalized Diana Press. Speakers, in order of appearance: moderator Julia Stanley (unnamed on tape); Mary Daly; Audre Lorde (11:38 into Side B); Judith McDaniel; Adrienne Rich. Lorde's speech is the original draft of her essay "The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action."

Tags Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, Discrimination, Identity, Language, Lesbians of Color
March on Washington/Pacifica Program Service, 1979 (Tape 1 of 4)

Tape 1 of 4 of a collection of cassette recordings of the NPR/Pacifica Radio national broadcast of coverage of the 1979 Washington DC march and rally for gay rights. Side A includes speeches by Robin Tyler, Troy Perry, Adelle Starr, and Michiko Cornell, as well as brief interviews with spectators in the crowd. Topics covered on side A include general theme of gay rights, as well as advocacy for gay youth and gay Asian Americans. Side B includes speeches by Rene McCoy, Bill Blish, Arly Scott, Maria Diaz, and Steve Alt, as well as brief interviews with spectators in the crowd. Topics covered include general gay/civil rights themes, advocacy for promotion of parental support for gay/lesbian children and discussion of Mayor Berry decision to declare "Gay/Lesbian Awareness Week". Side B. also also includes the song, "Not Anymore", (performed by Celebration).

Tags Activism, Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, Lesbian Pride Rallies, Marches On Washington, Parents, Radio
March on Washington / Pacifica Program Service, 1979 (Tape 2 of 4)

The second of four recordings of Pacifica Radio coverage of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on October 14, 1979. Musical performances by Mary Watkins, Meg Christian, and Holly Near. Speeches by Ray Hill and Charles Law.

Tags Feminism, Holly Near, Marches On Washington, Meg Christian, Music, Radio
March on Washington / Pacifica Program Service, 1979 (Tape 3 of 4)

March on Washington on October 14, 1979, which dealt with the civil rights of the gay and lesbian community. Participants included Audre Lorde (who can be heard on side A about 80% through), Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Ted Weiss, Gotham, Tom Robinson, Howard Wallace, Kate Millet, and Flo Kennedy. Key topics included civil and human rights, the labor movement, racism, sexism, and love. Short technical glitches occur on Side A.

Tags Audre Lorde, Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, Racism
March on Washington / Pacifica Program Service, 1979 (Tape 4 of 4)

Rally mediated by Audre Lorde given at the March on Washington on October 1979. Speech topics include rights of LGBT prisoners, parents, immigrants, and atheists.

Tags Atheism, Audre Lorde, Parents, Prison
Modern Language Association Conference in Chicago, 1977

Modern Language Association Conference in Chicago, December 1977. Lesbian Feminist Poetry Reading featuring six poets. Side A includes Joan Larkin, Barbara Smith and Diedre McCalla. Side B includes Melanie Kaye, Adrienne Rich and Audre Lorde; Audre Lorde appears at 28:07 on SPW1151_B (Side B).

Tags Abortion, Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, Barbara Smith, Conferences, Families, Feminism, Health, Language, Poetry, Sexuality
The Personal or the Political - I / Conference on Feminist Theory, September 29, 1979

In addition to Audre Lorde, Linda Gordon, Manuela Prairie, Jessica Benjamin, Bonnie Johnston, Camille Bristow, and Susan McHenry participated in the panel. The recording includes a question and answer session between panelists and audience members. The topics discussed include racism, feminism, class oppression, individualism, sexuality, community, and sisterhood.

Tags Audre Lorde, Communities, Feminism, Identity, Linda Gordon, Racism, Sexuality
The Personal or the Political - II / Conference on Feminist Theory, 1979

Audre Lorde continues her presentation as part of “The Personal and the Political” panel held at the Second Sex Conference on September 29, 1979. Audience members pose questions and make comments regarding the intersections between race, class, sexual orientation, and gender and feminism in response to Audre Lorde’s speech, “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House”, from SPW1155.

Tags Audre Lorde, Conferences, Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Feminism, Lesbians of Color
"Poetry" radio program on WBAI hosted by Susan Howe, undated

Audre Lorde appears on Susan Howe's WBAI radio program "Poetry." She reads "Black Studies," "To My Daughter The Junkie On The Train," "To The Girl Who Lives In A Tree," "Song For A Thin Sister," "Oya," and "The Brown Menace" from her book New York Head Shop and Museum. On Side B, she reads newer poems including, "Solstice," "Dahomey," "Nobody Wants To Die On The Way," "School Note," and "Power."

Tags Audre Lorde, Discrimination, Lesbians of Color, Poetry, Racism, Radio
Power, Oppression and the Politics of Culture: A Lesbian/Feminist Perspective; Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, August 25, 1978, (Tape 1 of 3)

Audio recording of a panel presentation at the Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women. Includes Audre Lorde.

Tags Audre Lorde, Conferences, Discrimination, Erotica, Feminism, Lesbians of Color, Sexuality
Power, Oppression and the Politics of Culture: A Lesbian/Feminist Perspective; Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women, August 25, 1978, (Tape 2 of 3)

Audio recording of a panel presentation at the Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women. "Power, Oppression and the Politics of Culture: A Lesbian/Feminist Perspective" included Audre Lorde

Tags Audre Lorde, Conferences, Discrimination, Feminism, Lesbians of Color, Power
Reading from 13th Moon Series, 1982

Side A : A poetry reading from Audre Lorde

Tags Audre Lorde
Third World Lesbian Writers Conference featuring Audre Lorde, Yvonne Flowers, and Robin Christian, 1979

Audio recording of the Third World Lesbian Writers Conference that took place on March 24, 1979. This is one of two tapes from the workshop, the second tape is missing. This is a workshop with Audre Lorde, Yvonne Flowers, and Robin Christian. Audre Lorde is on Side 1. Joan Nestle, Deb Edel, and Candice Wood are mentioned.

Tags Audre Lorde, Communities, Conferences, Feminism, Lesbians of Color, Writing
Voices of Women Writing Conference, April 30, 1982 (Tape 1)

Ms Holly makes assorted announcements then introduces Audre Lorde. She reads three poems: "For Each of You" "Poem for Women in Rage" "Sister, Morning is a Time for Miracles". Side B: Continuation of poem from Side A: "Sister, Morning is a Time for Miracles" Then reads: "After Images" Final Poem of reading: "On My Way to San Francisco I Pass Over You and the Verazano Bridge"

Tags Audre Lorde, Poetry, Writing
Voices of Women Writing Conference, April and May, 1982 (Tape 2)

Audre Lorde is on the panel. Lorde speaks on side A after other panelists introduce themselves an on side B. This is the recording of a Community Workshop panel, mostly discussing obstacles to women writing, specifically, black womens literature. The recordings are fairly audible aside from some inaudible speakers who are not close enough to the recording device.

Tags Audre Lorde, Writing

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Audio Collections
- Audre Lorde audio recordings, 1977-1986