Collection Stored Off-Site
All or portions of this collection are housed off-site. Materials can still be requested but researchers should expect a delay of up to two business days for retrieval.
Subseries 2.3
Poems, 1967-2006
Box 101
Scope and Content Note
The subseries consists of typescript and manuscript poetry written by Cleage from 1967-2006. Topics of her poetry primarily include celebration, family, and love. Of particular interest are manuscript drafts and notes for We Speak Your Names: A Celebration, a poetic celebration commissioned by Oprah Winfrey and co-authored with Cleage's husband Zaron W. Burnett, Jr. The book honored 25 African American women actresses, activists, poets and lyricists including Aretha Franklin, Maya Angelou, and Tina Turner.
Arrangement Note
Arranged in alphabetical order.
Restrictions on Access
Due to privacy concerns, some material has been redacted.
| Box | Folder | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | 1 | "The Albino Wino Dreams," typescript, 1993 |
| 101 | 2 | "Approaching fifty (for Zeke in January)," typescript, 1998 |
| 101 | 3 | "Aunt Abbie," typescript, 1971 |
| 101 | 4 | "Blue Lights in the Basement," typescript, 1991 |
| 101 | 5 | "Bruises," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 6 | "Confession," typescript, 1969 |
| 101 | 7 | "Conjure Women," typescript, no date |
| 101 | 8 | "Dancing Man," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 9 | "Decisions (for Michelle)," typescript, 1973 |
| 101 | 10 | "Drinking Beer," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 11 | "Early Morning Squirrel Karma: June 2, 8am," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 12 | "To the "Essentials" Family," typescript, 1984 |
| 101 | 13 | "Gangsters," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 14 | "Genius Child," typescript, 1989 |
| 101 | 15 | "Ghetto Service," collection of poems, 1967 |
| 101 | 16 | "Grandfather poem," typescript, 1999 |
| 101 | 17 | "Heaven," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 18 | "January 1. 1991: The Real Enemy," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 19 | "Jesus Drum," typescript, 1971 |
| 101 | 20 | "Last day of the year (for Z.)," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 21 | "Love Poems," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 22 | "For Lucius," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 23 | "Mean to Be Free," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 24 | "Michael's Poem," manuscript, 1972 |
| 101 | 25 | "Music Lover," typescript, 1992 |
| 101 | 26 | "My daughter picks the one with the sky in it," typescript, 1988 |
| 101 | 27 | "The Nasty Poem" typescript, 1987 |
| 101 | 28 | "Observation," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 29 | "Pheumonia Weather," typescript, no date |
| 101 | 30 | "This Photograph Is My Proof," typescript, 2005 |
| 101 | 31 | "Pink," typescript, 2000 |
| 101 | 32 | "Playing Wagner," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 33 | "Poem for Jack Kerouac, or my Big Time New York Writer Fantasy Flees a Public Relations Job and Goes on Road," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 34 | "A Poem for Kay at the Reading or, The Public Friend," typescript, 1976 |
| 101 | 35 | "Poem for Michelle," handwritten, 1972 |
| 101 | 36 | Poem on Joe Louis, typescript, 1982 |
| 101 | 37 | "For poets who would be saxaphones," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 38 | "The possibility exists," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 39 | "Pretend it's Paris (a lullaby)," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 40 | "Reconciliation," typescript, 1991 |
| 101 | 41 | "Random Temporary Good-by Thoughts to the Final Negro," typescript, 1985 |
| 101 | 42 | "The Rumor Is," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 43 | "Rumors," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 44 | "Turning Forty," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 45 | "Secret Life (for Z)," typescript, 1989 |
| 101 | 46 | "Selena's Poem," typescript, undated |
| 101 | 47 | Spelman anniversary poem, undated |
| 101 | 48 | "Summer is Coming," typescript, 1991 |
| 101 | 49 | "Tell me," handwritten, 1972 |
| 101 | 50 | "There Are Names (for Cloyd II)," typescript, 2003 |
| 101 | 51 | "Mixed Drink (for Kalia)," typescript, 1991 |
| 101 | 52 | "Vows," typescript, no date |
| 101 | 53 | "Warwick," typescript, no date |
| 101 | 54 | We Speak Your Names, book covers, 2005 |
| 101 | 55 | We Speak Your Names, layouts, 2005 [redacted] |
| 101 | 56 | We Speak Your Names, manuscript drafts and notes, 2005 [1 of 2] |
| 101 | 57 | We Speak Your Names, manuscript drafts and notes, 2005 [2 of 2] |
| 101 | 58 | "Woman poem," typescript, 1971 |
| 101 | 59 | "The Writer (For Ruth)," handwritten, 2006 |
| 101 | 60 | Untitled poem [1], undated |
| 101 | 61 | Untitled poem [2], undated |
| 101 | 62 | Untitled poem [3], undated |
| 101 | 63 | Untitled poem [4], undated |
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