This essential text for newcomers and experts alike combines a broad survey of African American women's writing with a vivid critique by Sandi Russell, inspired by her discovery of her own cultural inheritance.

This was the first book to focus on the full scope of African American women's writing and creativity. It has now been completely revised and is reissued with a new introduction. Filling as it does the growing demand for critical work on black women's writing, it is particularly suited to undergraduate courses in literature, women's studies and American studies.