LIKE KANSAS

The powerful chapbook from Simone Savannah, enlists the erotic as a means of deconstructing the structural oppression around us. Autonomy is re-conceptualized through the explicit use of body and language. Much like Audre Lorde, she is aware of the power her eroticism possesses; sexuality becomes sovereignty. In the face of racism, colonialism, sexism, and the ever-present street harasser, dominion over self is retained through feminine force. Simone Savannah holds a PhD in creative writing from the University of Kansas. Her areas of research include black feminist criticism, 20th century African American women’s literature and African American poetry. Her poem “Look,” also in this collection, was a finalist for the 2017 Rita Dove Award in poetry. To read more on “Like Kansas” and Simone, visit biglucks.com. To see and hear Simone Savannah be sure to attend “Race and Kansas Literature” on March 8 at Topeka + Shawnee County Public Library.