Presenting the essential writings of black lesbian poet and feminist writer Audre Lorde Sister Outsider celebrates an influential voice in twentieth-century literature. [Lorde s] works will be important to those truly interested in growing up sensitive intelligent and aware. --The New York Times In this charged collection of fifteen essays and speeches Lorde takes on sexism racism ageism homophobia and class and propounds social difference as a vehicle for action and change. Her prose is incisive unflinching and lyrical reflecting struggle but ultimately offering messages of hope. This commemorative edition includes a new foreword by Lorde-scholar and poet Cheryl Clarke who celebrates the ways in which Lorde s philosophies resonate more than twenty years after they were first published. These landmark writings are in Lorde s own words a call to never close our eyes to the terror to the chaos which is Black which is creative which is female which is dark which is rejected which is messy which is . . .