Oral Tradition: Selected Poems: Old and New

About The Gilda Stories: <P>"This intriguing vampire yarn features well-developed characters and philosophical excursions upon the angst of perpetual outsiderhood and the very human quest for companionship and love". — ALA Booklist<P>About Forty-Three Septembers: <P>"In this collection of 15 personal essays...words flow with an ease, honesty, and intellect that is mesmerizing". — Library Journal<P>Popular, respected, and widely published author Jewelle Gomez combines exciting new work with classic stories in this memorable collection of short fiction.<P>As in The Gilda Stories, her acclaimed Black lesbian vampire novel, Don't Explain is marked by the writer's trademark rich, highly sensual language. Here, too, we find a layering of themes: the complexities of relationships exploring racial, class, and generational boundaries; the abuse of children; the hunger for love and connection.<P>Well-versed in the traditions of African-American writing, Gomez moves from lesbian life in Boston in the 1960s (the title story) to a futuristic fantasy, "Houston", a previously unpublished Gilda story. The centerpiece novella, "Lynx and Strand", explores some of the darkest dreams and fears of American culture as we hurtle toward the millenium.<P>The breadth of Jewelle Gomez's literary reach is amply illustrated, as she continues to entice and entertain her readers in Don't Explain with her sweetly erotic excursions and encompassing vision.