Teesta Review: A Journal of Poetry, Volume 2, Number 2. November 2019. ISSN: 2581-7094
Our
Words, Our Worlds: Writing on Black South African Women Poets, 2000-2018,
Edited by Makhosazana Xaba, University of Kwa-Zulu
Natal Press, 2019.
ISBN:
9781-86914-412-8
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This recently published and long-overdue volume
provides an overview of the South African poetic landscape through black[1]
South African women writers. The book is divided into three parts, namely Perspectives, Journeys and Conversations. The Perspectives section documents the publications of poetry books by
Black South African Women Poets, navigating racism and sexism during Apartheid,
exploring sexualities in today’s South Africa, as well as poetry in indigenous
languages. In the Journeys section, the
poets describe their life-long relationships with poetry: from the moment they
fell in love words to their current relation to the art, and with writing as a
whole. Furthermore, they discuss how they have encountered other women poets in
their journey, and acknowledge the impact these poets have had on their views,
experiences and writing. The final section, Conversations
consists of interviews that cover the South African poetry scene, poetry on
the radio, and experiences with writing poetry in languages other than English.
I started with the Conversations
section to engage with the current trends, challenges, experiences, and other important
topics in-between. How fitting then that the Conversations section begins with the role poetry had in the
reclamation and return of Sarah Baartman’s remains since, in many ways, this
book is itself a declaration and reclamation of spaces that have been perceived
as an exclusive male prerogative. Sarah Baartman was sold into slavery and her body
was inhumanely displayed as a stark reminder of the traumatic struggles of
black women, and the legacies that still exist today for African women, and for
black women globally. Diana Ferrus’s poem I’ve
Come To Take You Home was used by Nicolas About, a French politician, as a
part of his attempt to persuade French Parliament “to return Sarah Baartman’s
remains to South Africa” (244). The poem was later displayed and placed on her
grave.
In Perspectives,
the editor, Makhosazana Xaba tables the number of poetry collections written
by black South African women from the year 2000 until 2018, and the publishers
that printed them. This is also done in relation to the first, second and third
wave feminism. It is particularly interesting to read how these poets navigated
through racism and sexism, and how this reflects (or does not reflect) in their
writing. The dominance of English is a hard-to-die colonial legacy, which is
slowly changing with time: this topic is discussed later in this section as
well as in the Conversations section.
The Reclaiming Sex and Queering the Word chapter
within this section explores the presence of black women’s sexualities in
poetry. This type of poetry has become more visible in post-apartheid, and
celebrates black female bodies (including disabled bodies), removes or
decentres the patriarchal gaze and ideal body types, and rebels against
homophobia and hate crimes. I would have liked to have read more of this in the
book, but I know that Xaba is no stranger to queer writing, having coedited the
Queer Africa: New and Collected Fiction
in 2013 and Queer Africa 2: New Stories in
2017.
What I found enjoyable about the Journeys section was how the poets inspire and influence each
other. For example, the Feela Sista! Collective, started by Myesha Jenkins,
Ntsiki Mazwai, Napo Masheane and Lebo Mashile helped to inspire poets such as
Tereska Muishond (139) and Makgano Mamabolo (165).
Overall, the book is a pleasant read and is most
definitely necessary in the archiving/preserving the history of South African
poetry by black women. It also acknowledges the writing of black women prior to
2000, dedicating the book to Nontsizi Mgqwetho, the “vulandlela [2]
for South African Black women poets”.
Furthermore, in light of this issue’s theme, destiny
becomes less of an abstract idea that exists only in the mind. It becomes
something tangible –able to be traced within this book. Across time, we are
able to witness how the voices of Black South African Women poets have become
more visible in poetry, and in literature as a whole.
The Call for Submissions for this issue of Teesta asked: “Can poetry – with its
prophetic character – influence our individual and collective destiny?”.
According to this book, the answer is a resounding YES!
[1] The
definition of black in this book includes those who were previously classified
as “Coloured” and “Indian” under the Apartheid regime.