Ntozake Shange summed up the central concerns of her art when she explained to an interviewer, "bein alive & bein a woman & bein colored is a metaphysical dilemma I haven't yet conquered." In works that blend poetry, music, and dance, Shange articulates the ramifications of being black and female. Poignantly speaking to and for numerous women of every race who perceive themselves as disinherited and dispossessed, Shange's life and works give dimension and clarification to the current feminist movement in America. Unlike the works of many black male writers who suggest through their images that black women's happiness or completeness hinges upon guidance from strong black men, Ntozake Shange's works contain numerous images of black women who are forced to become self-sufficient because black men in their lives will not or cannot provide financial and emotional stability for them.

Writer, educator, lecturer, dancer, and actress, Ntozake Shange (En-to-zä...