The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde is a profound exploration of the author's personal battle with breast cancer, offering insights into her struggles with illness, treatment, and life post-treatment. Lorde's unique perspective as a Black, Lesbian, and Feminist individual allows her to analyze disease, pain, and social positionality in reference to her cancer diagnosis. The book delves into the societal constructs of femininity and body image, particularly in relation to women's bodies, and challenges traditional norms and expectations surrounding breast cancer treatment.
The Cancer Journals also serves as a wake-up call for readers to prioritize self-care and self-love during challenging and life-altering experiences. Lorde's writing style is described as superb, with a focus on personal observations and revelations that offer a deep and introspective look into her journey with cancer. Despite some readers finding the book lacking in details regarding relationships and coherence, it is praised for its thought-provoking content and Lorde's ability to articulate the complexities of illness and identity.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers or content warnings include discussions of cancer, illness, body mutilation, grief, and potential negative reflections on the medical system.
From The Publisher:
Literary Nonfiction. Memoir. African American Studies. LGBT Studies. Moving between journal entry, memoir, and exposition, Audre Lorde fuses the personal and political as she reflects on her experience coping with breast cancer and a radical mastectomy. Includes photos and tributes to Lorde written after her death in 1992.
"Grief, terror, courage, the passion for survival and for more than survival, are here in the searchings of a great poet." Adrienne Rich
"This book teaches me that with one breast or none, I am still me." Alice Walker.
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About the Author:
Audre Lorde (1934-1992) wrote eighteen books of essays and poetry, for which she won numerous awards, including the American Book Award for A Burst of Light. She received a Masters of Library Science from Columbia University. After working several years as a librarian, she became a professor of English?first at John Jay College and later at Hunter College.
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