FEMINIST ACTIVIST AND POET Cheryl Clarke’s upcoming release, Archive of Style: New and Selected Poems (Northeastern University Press), is already promising to be a must-read for 2024.
Throughout her life, Cheryl Clarke has been at the forefront of the intersection of the arts and feminist activism and her unique lens as a Black lesbian feminist has shaped her into the incredible writer, thinker, and poet that she is today. Clarke recalls her involvement with early Black feminist coalitions that went on to pen the most important pieces of Black feminist theory, “When I was first being an activist, we theorized a lot about racism in the world, and racism in the women’s movement, and we spent a lot of time struggling with white women to address racism as at least as crucial a thing to fight as sexism and misogyny. I did a lot of work with people like Barbara Smith. I was lucky enough to have been involved in early Black feminist retreats. A lot came out of those early efforts to coalesce around Black feminism and develop Black feminism.” Clarke noted the evolution of the term feminist and the historical connections she hopes younger generations will carry on when utilizing the term, “We can forget how easy it is to forget to call ourselves feminists and also to take it for granted. You know?” She goes on to state, “younger generations who are political must understand that we do not have the luxury to struggle on one level or on one front, or with one group. We have to be able to engage in a struggle that engages the simultaneity of oppressions.”
And it’s with this indispensable knowledge and first-hand activist experience that Clarke gifts us some of the most powerful and thought-provoking poetry of the decade.
Archive of Style arrives at a contentious time in United States (and global) history. Not only is the US still facing the consequences of the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, but a spark of student protests around the country in support of a free Palestine has created a critical need for books such as Clarke’s. While authors may not always have the final say in when their books get released, Clarke notes how collections such as hers often seem to come at times of social reckoning. “There’s always some nonsense going on here that threatens to take us back a hundred years,“ notes Clarke, “But I see that poetry can serve to change and revolutionize how we think about antiquated systems, repressive systems, diabolical systems as we see [them]. Such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we didn’t think we’d see that, but we’re always chastened by what we don’t think will happen, that happens.”
The collection of poems explores a variety of themes surrounding identity, community, and social justice. Strong motifs referencing apartheid in South Africa and white supremacy in the US help readers draw connections between global social unrest and Clarke’s own exploration of her worldview. On poetry as a tool in social activism, Clarke muses, “I suppose I’m used to poetry being integral to social change and social activism. I was lucky enough to have witnessed the Black Arts Movement of the sixties and I saw the integral role that poetry played in that movement. It was poets who were pretty much at the forefront of the Black Arts Movement of the sixties and the Black Power movement as well. So I’m used to experiencing poetry as a spoke in the wheel of social change.” Clarke went on to explain how poetry has played a particularly large role in the feminist movement as well, “I have seen (poetry’s) impact on people, particularly in the women’s movement. We saw people like Audre Lorde come to bear upon us with her poetry during the early phase of what people call second-wave feminism.”
While Clarke has been writing and publishing poetry for decades, this collection stands apart from the others because it takes readers through time, tying threads between historical perspectives, and helping readers to better understand the contemporary world. Clarke discussed some of her favorite pieces in this collection. “One of my favorites is “Of Althea and Flaxie“. It was the first poem I ever wrote about lesbians. Well, it was one of the first poems I ever seriously wrote. Period.” Clarke explains, “I wrote it in 1981 or 1982. It attempts to show that Black lesbians have been in existence at least as long as everybody else has been, we didn’t just appear with Stonewall” After a beat, she remarked, “Stonewall is important. I’m not knocking Stonewall.” Clarke named other poems she sees as cornerstones of her collection, citing works such as “Movement” – which addresses the civil rights movement on a personal and political level -and “Bulletin” as another personal favorite – which centers a fugitive slave woman talking back to a warrant for her capture. Clarke noted rhythm and blues, Black music, and Black Power as other key themes that are present throughout the collection. Additionally, exploring her lesbian identity, and the lesbian identity as a whole, has been an important topic for her over the years, “I have a series of poems called Living as a Lesbian. And you know, they attempt not only to personalize my experience of lesbianism but also to just talk about lesbianism as an everyday thing.”
Archive of Style is a collection of poems that every feminist will need on their bookshelf. In the words of Clarke, “We are going to need poetry and poets – period – to get us through this next phase of US militarism at home and abroad. poetry helps us to imagine change.”
