for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf

This choreopoem is somewhere between a poetry collection and a play. I found the introduction in this new updated edition incredibly helpful, because while I feel like I have seen this book around and been aware of it for ages, I didn't really know anything about it. The introduction described how this grew from a collection of poems into a performance piece, and then how it was updated over time.

This book is that harrowing kind of beautiful, that gives dignity by bearing witness to people living through difficult/impossible situations, that recognizes people fighting for their joy where they can find it, people surviving how they can.

The introduction also places the work in time, from its very beginnings in the mid-seventies to the show more way audience reactions have changed over time, to the legacy it has created for itself.

If it isn't clear, while I would have enjoyed this collection without the introduction, that context and history increased my understanding/connection/enjoyment of this piece several-fold.

This is beautiful but difficult. Please check the content warnings.

Recommended for fans of The Vagina Monologues, Shonda Rhimes, The Color Purple show less

Shange's poems are powerful stories that share the experiences of black women in America. They deal with love, heartbreak, growing up, death, friendship, and more. Her writing is beautiful and rhythmic, often mimicking the varied speech patterns of people from different areas of the U.S. She vividly captures the personality of each of the women represented in the Choreopoem, and shows how so many of the stories shared represent shared experiences. The reader walks away thinking about how maybe we are not all so different after all - that maybe women from all over share many of the same dilemmas, and we should learn to be kinder to ourselves and each other.

Ntozake Shange's powerful and vivid fusion of poetry and drama deftly maps the internal battles of black female identity and the inadequacy of language to express it, rumbling with the fury of what it means to be both an invisible presence whose voice is not heard and whose worth is not valued, and a visible commodity whose body and very personhood is objectified and reduced to utility for others as victim, lover, mother, and slave. At the same, the narrative rallies against this with a fierce and lyrical rebellion wrought with sharp wit, humor, and hope. Any student of American literature, poetry, drama, gender studies, or race studies must consider and carefully weigh the importance of this work.

**Trigger Warning**

I strongly recommend that anyone who saw the movie For Colored Girls or wishes to see the movie read the poems first. Even if you don't plan to watch the movie, read the poems. It is a choreopoem that uses 7 characters to show the life experiences of Black Women in the 70's. It captures situations like love and relationships, abortion, rape and PTSD among other things. Sadly, the majority of the topics listed are still so prevalent and relevant to our society regardless of your race. However, works like Ntozake Shange's can show us that we need to keep giving women's experiences voices so we can eventually learn how to heal and make sure future generations of women do not have to go through the same struggles.

I am a huge fan of the movie "For Colored Girls" that is based off of this book and I thought that I should finally look to see if my University Library had a copy of it. Indeed they did have a copy of it. I devoured the pages within the matter of an hour. This book is riveting and really showcases well the voice of an African-American woman. We can learn from this book about their struggles and experiences. I would recommend this to anyone that is in a field that works with a variety of individuals. This will give you some great insights and will also move you to tears by the end.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange is a poem written for a stage performance or a play written in poetic form. Perhaps it is appropriate to call it both. There are moments in the reading when the stage direction feels incredibly integral to the experience of reading and others when it's slightly distracting. Shange brings her characters to life and delves into the beauty and the hardship of life with equal intensity. Shange's poetry For Colored girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf offers a commentary on myriad issues and highlights the connections between us and our actions that we often fail to see or even willfully refuse to see. I longed to see the stage show more performance as I read. I will likely watch the movie on YouTube some time soon. The DVD of both the movie and the Broadway Theatre Archive versions are available on Amazon. show less

I have to say that I loved this play. It was a bit weird to read the stage directions along with the poetry that was being said by these characters, but it was quite easy to read and follow.

For colored girls is considered a choreopoem (i.e. there are monologues that also include dance and music) with seven women in different colors speaking to the audience.

The seven women are the lady in red, lady in orange, lady in yellow, lady in green, lady in blue, lady in brown, and lady in purple.

Some of the poems really spoke to me a lot and the play tackles so many different subjects such as rape, abortion, domestic violence.

Some of the language was a bit harsh too. There were a lot of n words and some ethnic slurs in there too. I wouldn't show more recommend to those who may be easily offended and who may not want to read about some of the subjects of this play.

lady in brown
& this is for colored girls who have considered
suicide/but are movin to the ends of their own
rainbows

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