language of our lineage

8/13/2019 Language of Our Lineage

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/language-of-our-lineage 1/28



And We Go On: The Continuation of a Literary Lineage Through Modern Young Female

Authors

“A book of myths / in which / our names do not appear.”

-Adrienne Rich

According to Adrienne Rich’s essay Writing as Re!"ision#$ Re!%ision&the act of

loo'ing (ac'# of seeing )ith fresh eyes# of entering an old te*t from a ne) critical direction&is

for us more than a cha+ter in cultural history: it is an act of sur%i%al,$ On another occasion#

Audre Lorde also )rote that )riting is a means of sur%i%al for )omen, They s+o'e se+arately#

(ut mo%ed (y the same s+irit# (oth introducing a ne) frame)or' for %ie)ing the female literary

tradition: not as something that e*ists in inferiority to men&some insignificant collection of

furti%e )ritings (uilt into a to)er of incom+lete e*+ression&(ut as a full lineage, Today# this

lineage continues# as young female )riters ha%e ada+ted +u(lic s+aces -namely# the internet. as a

means of transmitting stories and emotions that )ould in the +ast ha%e (een delegated to +ri%ate

s+aces,

Traditionally# )omen )riters ha%e e*+ressed themsel%es %ia diaries# letters# and other

+ri%ate )or's, / dedicated +oems to Anne Fran' and 0mily 1ic'inson +artially out of res+ect to

this tradition -and +artially (ecause / feel a dee+ connection to each# and an interest in their %ery

different forms of isolation.# (ut there are thousands of diaries and +ri%ate collections# only some

of them +u(lished, 0%en female authors )ho ha%e )ritten for +u(lic consum+tion ha%e tended to

e*ist )ithin a conte*t (uilt (y men, 2ane Austen stayed in the shado)s# a++roaching male!

a++ro%ed su(3ects li'e marriage and sisterhood -a to+ic later em(raced (y Louisa May Alcott.,

4he im(ued a le%el of sarcasm into her )or'# sure# (ut she functioned as a male fantasy of the

female )riter: sim+le in content# full of flo)ery language and moral +roselyti5ing, The

dese*uali5ed# ultra!femini5ed )oman is reminiscent of the Catholic Church6s cele(ration of



female saints such as Catherine of 4iena# )hose celi(acy and anore*ic aestheticism (ought her a

+lace in the hea%ens,

That said# )e must (e careful not to denigrate )riters li'e Austen 3ust for their su(3ect

matter: to declare that traditionally female!coded to+ics are (ad$ is to declare that to (e

feminine is (ad,$ The issue is that# for many years# the only )omen )ho could achie%e +u(lic

attention )ere those )ho clung solely to the female!coded su(3ects, A )oman (roaching

something li'e moral am(iguity )ould (e an encroachment on male territory# and treated )ith

something )orse than criticism: it )ould (e as if her )ords ne%er e*isted# as they )ould ne%er (e

+u(lished, / )ish not to trace the +rogression of female authordom# as that’s treaded ground,

What / )ould +refer to do no) is to loo' at ho) su(3ects that e*ist in all )omen’s diaries# letters#

and )his+erings ha%e recently ceased to (e ta(oo,

Audre Lorde )rote in Uses of the Erotic that# /n order to (e utili5ed# our erotic feelings

must (e recogni5ed, The need for sharing dee+ feeling is a human need,$ For Lorde# the erotic is

not merely a se*ual term# (ut something that lies in a dee+ly female and s+iritual +lane# firmly

rooted in the +o)er of our une*+ressed or unrecogni5ed feeling,$ The erotic +ro%ides +o)er

from sharing and from feeling# +articularly from sharing and feeling 3oy, /t’s a sensual

e*+erience# not 3ust a se*ual one7 to (e a )oman and to (e truly 3oyful# to (e dancing and singing

and laughing freely# is a sla+ in the face of the +atriarchy, We are told to (e 8uiet and demure7

e%en a century and a half of feminism hasn’t sto++ed )omen from feeling the societal +ressure to

al)ays s+ea' a little more softly# to (e a little smaller# to dress a little less )ildly, When )e

counter these +ressures&)hen )e scream# )ithout fear of (eing called hysterical7 )hen )e )ear

our hair long# )ithout fear of (eing called dirty7 )hen )e dress for each other# )ithout fear of

(eing called slutty or +rudish or insane&)e are claiming the +o)er of the erotic,



to anyone at all, We hear ho) it hurts# ho) she feels calm and rela*ed#$ and# after he teases her

for seeming ner%ous# if she felt a (it offended and )ondered if sheB )anted to ha%e se* )ith

someone )ho had teased her,B$ Throughout the e*+erience# she descri(es feeling a)')ard#

em(arrassed# sur+rised# and shoc'ed, Yet she +asses no 3udgment on herself7 this retelling is

o(3ecti%e in its su(3ecti%ity# as Callo)ay allo)s the feelings as she remem(ers them to dictate the

+rogression of the story, And it is %ery much her story&the man# though descri(ed do)n to his

American A++arel (riefs# may(e (e in control of the situation# (ut he is not in control of the

retelling,

/n another essay# @o) to Ma'e Money in London#$ Callo)ay descri(es +rostituting

herself %ia a Craigslist ad after losing her de(it card, 4he )rites (efore meeting the 3ohn -all in

lo)er case.# i )as mostly an*ious a(out him not finding me attracti%eor it (eing really

a)')ard, i loo'ed at myself in the reflecti%e )indo) of the train station, Ddon’t )orry# you loo'

(eautiful#’ some old man said as he )al'ed +ast me,$ This is a %ery uni8ue and +ersonal concern

that (elongs in a diary7 the +ro+er male )riter %oice )ould say that no one needs to hear of a

young girl feeling a)')ard )hile selling her (ody, 9ut she does need to say that# (ecause it is

ho) she felt# and her feeling is something she needed to share, This communication is integral:

Callo)ay )rites for herself# to understand her feelings# (ut also for other women, And e%en

though her )or' is se*ual# it is not +ornogra+hic, Callo)ay instead uses se* as an entry)ay into

other con%ersations7 it is the language she chooses to use,

And language&a ne) language# one 3ust for us&is ho) )e are going to e*change our

forms of the erotic# and ho) )e (uild the lineage and legacy that 'ee+s female )riting afloat,

We need the +ast in order to inform the +resent7 this is a trite clichE# (ut it holds true, /n the

follo)ing +oems# / see' to e*+lore language as it +ertains to )omen as a )hole# and to se+arate



)omen indi%idually, There is an e*change at +lay# (et)een myself as a )riter and the su(3ects /

chose to )rite for, Though most are dead# / see myself as s+ea'ing to them# not s+ea'ing for

them, / end this introduction (y again 8uoting Adrienne Rich, /n her +oem lanetarium#$ Rich

calls herself an instrument ? in the sha+e ? of a )oman trying to translate +ulsations ? into

images for the relief of the (ody ? and the reconstruction of the mind,$ This is )hat )e all must

(e: instruments +ro%iding %oices from the +ast# and from our o)n inner li%es,



Wor's Cited

9ess# Ga((y, Miniature 9ears$ and @o) to li%e,$ :AM Maga5ine, H><H,

Ihtt+:??))),ammaga5ine,com?am?three!+oems!<J?K,

Callo)ay# Marie, @o) To Ma'e Money in London$ and Losing Your "irginity,$

what purpose did i serve in your life, ;e) Yor': Tyrant# H><,

Lorde# Audre, ses of the 0rotic,$

Rich# Adrienne, When We 1ead A)a'en: Writing as Re!"ision,$

Rich# Adrienne, 1i%ing into the Wrec'$ and lanetarium,$

http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/three-poems-18/

http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/three-poems-18/



Lines and 4ignals

for Sacaawea

The land )as )ritten on the lines of your +alm7

you )ere a ma+# harnessed and ne%er unleashed#

haunting my north)est autumn,/ lift a rusted leaf (et)een my fingers, / )onder

if you could ha%e found me,

/ am lost# / am co%ered under measures of earth#there is a fog a(o%e me, / can feel it,

a (a(y in your arms#

a nation )aiting for

your footste+s to de!clare itself# a nation#

indi%isi(le# a nation#

that is yours no more,

/ am )al'ing across land that only increases, / am)al'ing across your o)n disco%ery,

A ha)' s+ea's,/ o+en the ma+ stuffed in my +ac', The lines lead to nothing,

They are mere in',

We )rite ma+s for the em+ty s+aces#digging lines in the dirt )ith gathered stic's, We )rite ma+s

for the dead# guiding them (ac'#

and into the +resent,



The Calculation

for Shakuntala !evi

a num(er

im+rinted

)ith care#all from

memory,

)ith )hat small

com(ination

of fragments

of e8uationscan one (uild

an ans)er

to )hy )e lo%e

the )ay )e do



4ilent 4ounds

for Emily !ickinson

9ecause she could not sto+ for death#

she +oured her life into

solitary Amherst )inters# s+ea'ing at )alls,For some#

li%ing is too much#

the )orld too large# too )hole# toomagnificent

that the mere conce+t of e*+loring it

is o%er)helming#

nearly im+ossi(le#in its intensity,

9ecause she could not sto+ for death#

she interru+ted a thousand li%es, 4he

)rote her )ay into the (loodstreams of tri(es of lonely girls, 4he inscri(ed herself

into infinity,



An 0ducation of 1aughters

for "ary #ollstonecraft

The girls in their +laid s'irts

formed small circles# touching s'in

and cele(rating hair#rehashing tele+hone con%ersations and

s+ea'ing in the hushed tones# occasional out(urst#

of all +eo+le learning to (e )omen,0ach allotted circle )ith its o)n )ays#

its o)n decisions and its o)n 8ueen,

/ gre) tall among them# s+ending

lunches laying in the grass# a guitar across my la+# +laying the same three chords o%er and o%er,

/ sa) her first

on a Fe(ruary morning, 4he )as crossingin front of the alge(ra classroom# and suddenly

* did not e8ual y# and nothing )as greater than >#and e%erything (ecame her#

floating into fractals (uilding into the dar' of her eyes

and the soft cur%es of her torso,

Am / too irrational 4to+ me if my emotions

are o%ercoming my senses, We must ne%er forget

to learn our e8uations,

/ felt a need to lay in (ed#

to s+lay my lim(s out of o+en car )indo)s#)atching )ater dance in the s+rin'lers of

su(ur(an la)ns# air+lanes dra)ing +atterns of

her (ody in the s'y, / )anted to lean my headagainst hers# to find the center or heart#

or may(e a +it# an a++le core#

that li%ed inside her, To feel it )ith

)hate%er )as li%ing inside me,

/n the fall#

/ reached out to her, / said that / neededan education# / did not say that / needed to learn

ho) to (e

the goddess she )as, @o) she could)al' )ith those (oots do)n those hall)ays#

graffiti on classroom )alls# ho) she could

e*ist so se+arate and strong

from the )orld )e sa), They )ere all gold nec'laces#



dad’s money# morning coffee#

)aiting for di+lomas and heading for degrees, 4he )as a secret

she )as sil%er#she )as a +ure

enigma,

4he +ic'ed me u+

in her @onda, We sat on the hood of the car# her

)ith her half!sha%ed head# her fuc' 9ush$ (um+er stic'er#and me# )ra++ed in a hooded s)eatshirt#

(oth so young,

The thing to it is#you 3ust

li%e#$ she said,

You find the +eo+le

)ho )ant to li%eand you don’t

gi%e them u+# or gi%e u+ on them, ;ot

e%er,$



A Family of 9irds

for $arper %ee

/ assumed

)hen she )rote of

him ta'ing off his glasses#)i+ing s)eat from his face# to shoot

the sic' dog# that she )as also

)riting of her o)n father, 9ecause )hen you )rite#it’s ne%er a(out )hat you say#

(ut )hat you’re not saying#

and )ho you’re not saying it to,

/ go out

(ird)atching# / see

a family around a nest in a tall tree,

/ )ait for them to lea%e#/ )ill gather the eggs, / am a fo*#

/ am a ha)', / )ill not (rea' one# (ut / )ill ins+ect#

and see the light (lues and dee+ cream s)irls

of the near!+orcelain smoothnessand smallness,

/t’s enough to

in%ent memories# (ut )hat of the stories

that did ha++en#

(ut that)e can ne%er tell

/ left the eggs alonein the nest, Their

mother is coming,



<=N

for Anne &rank

A dar' s+ell, 4omething

s+inning, A scream,

The )orldis (ro'en

into a thousand +ieces, /t is

our 3o(to +ut it together again# ti''un

olam,

/ read)hat she )rote in secret#

in her +ri%ate language&

a sin too readily committed,

/ 'no) / cannot sa%e her#

my endless litany# eternal shi%a#she is )hat (ends me at the )aist,

@er )ordsthat (ought her immortality

roll through my %eins, 4he is )ith me

in deserts and in citysca+es# she is

falling from the s'yinto my arms,



Gloire

for "alala 'ousaf(ai

A fire)or'

lashed out from your eyes,

You )ould notlet them (rea' you,

@o) could they 1id they not see

)hat ru(iesyou hold in your cu++ed hands

Your (lood#

though it san' from out of your s'in# (urned harder# hotter

e%en still,

eace#they )ant to a)ard you, 9ut you

are more than +eace, You areflame# you are (urning# you are

consuming, You are sha'e!the!)orld!do)n

mad!)oman glorious,



Re(irth

for )ora *eale $urston

a shado)

(anishes

harlem afterglo)#

)here should

my eyes (e turned

)e )al' in (eauty#

u+ hills and through

+alaces

e%en though they ha%e triedto (loc' our entry,

to (e (orn again,



Fragments

for Sappho

the +ieces she left of me

scattered across the floors of secret rooms#

eggshell remnants, it is (est to lea%eif you ha%e to go,

/ )ill ne%er 'no) a full sentence

of )hat she meant to say# she s+o'ein line (rea's

and in

charred remains,



A True 4tory

for +ir,inia #oolf

/ )ill )rite a true story that ne%er ha++ened,

/t is late autumn# early )inter, / am )al'ing under a gray s'yin Los Angeles# (eside the ocean, /t is cold#

(ut in a soft )ay# the 'ind of cold that clutches

red on your nose# that heals you#the mist a mi'%ah, Another figure

(egan to a++roach me# from another side of the (each, /t )as

)earing some long coat# smaller than me# (ut gro)ing larger,

/ (rushed hair from in front of my eyes# tastedsalt on my cha++ed li+s# and called out,

;o res+onse,

/ returned to staring out at the hori5on# an acti%ity

)hich naturally releases endor+hins into the (ody -/read that some)here# an interesting fact,. The figure s'ims

across the sand# nearing me# something

of a shado)# though, 4omething / don’t trust, / slideout of my sandals and (ury my toes

dee+ into the )etted sand,

/ call out,There is still no res+onse,

/ thin'#may(e this is it, May(e /’%e finally lost it#

)hen / hear a )ord#

Wait#$ (lo)n to)ard me from the

(each )inds,

What am / )aiting for$ / say,

The figure sto+s, We are still too far from each other

for me to distinguish any features# (utour (odies face each other# a stand!off,

Why am / )aiting$ / as', What is there to )ait forAm / )aiting for another +erilous day#

through the silence of my mind



/s there some esca+e

What )ill / do

)hen / cannot )riteanymore$

The figure seemedto loo' at me#

although /

)ill ne%er 'no),

You )ill )ait#$

the figure said,

And )ait / did,



On the 9eauty of 4mall Things

for osalind &ranklin

T)isting s+irals#

as / t)ist my hair,

)e (uildshoc'ing s+irals

u+ to the hea%ens# e%eryday#

)ithout noticing, Our cellsre+roducing +atterns# in an

ingrained choreogra+hy,

What mysteriesare held

in the folds of my s'in What

mitochondria com+letes me

Am / a +redicted 8uality#

does my (ody already understandmy future

What language

do my hair# eyes# (ac'# stomachs+ea' in unison

The miniscule +erfections

that roar from e%ery +ore#are so much greater

than )e ha%e (een

led to (elie%e,



oetical 4cience

for Ada %ovelace

A father else)here#

his +oems seducing other lo%ers, 4he

too' to something more concrete,4he is ># she is <#

she is an algorithm#

communicating lossthrough re+etition,



/n Translation

for milie du h0telet

Ta'ing the terms of men#

)e im(ue our o)n meaning#

defining gra%ity (ecause )e 'no))hat it is to fall#

inertia (ecause )e ha%e (een

told to sit still, These )ordsare not foreign to us# e%en as they tell us

that )e 'no) nothing of science# that )e

are not meant to understand, 9ut don’t

they 'no)# that )e in%entednatural mathematics

dee+ inside our s'in We ta'e

their )ords# and turn them inside!out, We are

)or'ing from a frame)or' in%ented to deter us# (ut )e are ma'ing it

our o)n,



Rhetoric

for 1da 2. #ells

this is ho)

)e )rite stories no):

first#)e must research, crossing enemy lines#

)e enter strange territory

returning )ith listsof horrors,

)hen )e )rite#

)e must use our o)n )ords# that s+ea'

our o)n truth,



Mo3a%e

for 3eor,ia 456eeffe

A s'ull dries in a red (lue desert,

/ am dra)n through the dust and dirt

(y a man )ho says / ha%e shar' eyes, @e ta'esmy )ords# )ra++ed in sil%er cu+s#

and sa%es them for me

)hen / )ill need them,/n the desert#

/ (loom around him, @e leads me u+

a mountain of roc'# so that )e can see

for fore%er, / thin' of a cactussha+ed li'e a )oman# / thin' of a )oman

)ho could +aint a cactus flo)er

)ith the same finesse

that he (rushes my s'in,



;o Gods# ;o Masters

for "ar,aret San,er

/nformation +assed in secret

(et)een ner%ous tongues,

@idden stains and scared eyesdes+erately demand ans)ers and

alternati%es# to ta'e control

and declare +o)er )here therene%er )as an in'ling, There are those

)ho )ere told to ans)er to masters#

to gods# )ho )ere told that their (odies

)ere not their o)n, And then there are those)ho )ished this not to (e true#

)ho# )ith science and deli(eration#

altered the course of our se*, Ma'ing +lans

to retrie%e futures,And still# though#

nothing is +romised#the freedom (orn in determining fate

s)ells under foregrounds

e*+lodes into stars,



;ames for Soourner 7ruth

There are names that )ere (e8ueathed#

chosen ar(itrarily# decided u+on (y strangers,

9ut then#

there are the names )e gi%e oursel%es# torn fromold +ages and em(ossed on our s+irits,

Can they e*+ress

the secret# un'no)a(le# unsaya(le sel%es We must

dictate our (iogra+hies# (utho) )ill )e ho+e to achie%e the correct assignment of sylla(les

if so much of )hat )e can say

comes u+ short ;ames +retend to con8uer# and )ords feign

accuracy, 4o )e s+ea' out of (ounds# )ecreate ne) routes# )e dig u+ dirt and )e li%e u+ to

the names )e ado+t,



An /nstructional Manual for Re(ellion

for Susan 2. Anthony and Eli(abeth ady Stanton

/ cannot use their )ords,

/ cannot claim to 'no) )hat they said

in meeting halls and con%entions#)hat arguments and deli(erations

)ent into designing +am+hlets# (uilding declarations#

ins+iring conflict, / 'no) )hat they +u(lished#their +u(lic sel%es# (ut / don’t 'no)

)hat fears they had# the daily stress#

)hat it )as li'e not to 'no) if anything they (elie%ed

)ould +ro%e to matter,

@ere’s an instructional manual for re(ellion:

You ha%e to (rea',

You reach inside yourself# through the (ones#and ta'e out the +ieces you ne%er )anted

to sho) to another soul, You +ut them on a shelf#

and you dare the )orld to touch or tarnishthe +ri%ate as+ects of you no) on dis+lay,

Re(ellion isn’t 3ust the +rotests and rallies#

3ail cell nights and dis+ersed +a+er)or', /t’s crying solo#constant an*iety# hands in the air shouting

is it )orth it# is it )orth it, /t’s (rea'ing do)n

the shell of the )omanand +ulling out

the real thing,



To Tongues ;e%er @arnessed

for my ,randmother

First# a longing,

The last strains of a erry Como record#

mum(ling through the %ictrola# andfrom the 'itchen# onions and chun'ed %egeta(les

see+ing into (oiling )ater, / si+ the (roth#

loo'ing through her 9etty Croc'er coo'(oo',

/ )onder# )hen her mother and father’s shi+ arri%ed#

and they )ere stam+ed# ins+ected# eyelids torn# namesrecorded# miss+elled# too many %o)els#

and then 8uarantined# mar'ed for tu(erculosis# small+o*#

yelled at# )o+s&

/ )onder if they#gna)ing on )orn!out +ecorino# trains from ;e) Yor'#

(urning their (odies in California farmland#still strangers#

/ )onder )hat the immensity of their tears )ould (e

to 'no) that their daughter# granddaughter# me#that )e all 'no) more a(out macy’s+arade3ellosaladthan'sgi%ing

than )e do

our o)n +eo+le,

When / s+ea'#

it is not )ith her mother’s )ords, / stand

against a )all of +annetonne at Genoa’s 1eli#surrounded (y sylla(les that only laugh at me,

9ut / remem(er that she )as ne%er silent herself,

Fifty years a nurse# sa%ing children’s li%es#

fighting the myriad of small fights

that go into ma'ing u+ an a%erage day, Child of the 1e+ression# selling a++les off the side of the

road# her +arents afraid and unsure# mostly

illiterate# forcing her to read# to s+ell#to (uy (oo's, There )ere )ords

she sa%ed me from s+ea'ing#

the misery )ords of hunger# hurt# cold,

/n all of her years#

not one day silent,

language of our lineage

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