Mouths of Rain

"Praise for Mouths of Rain: Featured in Elle's Essential Pride Reading List “It’s no secret that Black lesbian thought leaders have played a pivotal role as activists in shaping feminist theory. In this powerful anthology, Briona Simone Jones shines a light on the words of many of those trailblazers, including Barbara Smith, Audre Lorde, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, among many notable others.” —Refinery29 ""Mouths of Rain compiles the work of Black lesbian writers and thinkers primarily across the 20th and 21st centuries; the result is enlightening and deeply communal.” —The Atlantic “This outstanding collection honors the legacy and contributions made by Black lesbian writers throughout the last two centuries.” —Ms. magazine “Told through a collection of essays by Black women including Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Jewel Gomez and Beverly Smith, Mouths of Rain explores the long history of intellectual thought and stories by Black lesbian writers spanning from the nineteenth century through the twenty-first century.” —The Root “In Mouths of Rain, Dr. Briona Simone Jones masterfully curates an anthology of Black women loving Black women. . . . This collection is a balm that shows readers that Black feminism benefits us all.” —Elle “Wide-ranging, celebratory. . . . Jones’s inspiring and prodigious anthology is striking.” —Publishers Weekly “It’s time people listen to Black lesbians and utilize that knowledge into action to improve lives. This book is a gateway into that action. An essential component to any social science shelf, this is transformative, vital reading.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Briona Simone Jones's anthology Mouths of Rain is an audacious, unapologetic, transgressive collection of Black ‘queer' writing across genre, time, identity, age, and political leanings. This sister/companion to Words of Fire, published thirty years ago, makes visible—again—our passionate and unwavering commitments to the eradication of all oppressions. It bears witness to the necessity and power of the field of Black Lesbian Studies and is a love offering to us all.” —Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women's Studies at Spelman College and editor of Words of Fire: An Anthology of African American Feminist Thought"