Erotique Noire / Black Erotica
New York: Doubleday, 1992. 1st Edition. Octavo, publisher's stiff illustrated wraps.
Celebratory anthology on Black sexuality and sensuality. Edited by civil rights activist and writer Miriam DeCosta-Willis, the collection is considered the forerunner of the then-burgeoning field of Black erotica and the first international anthology of its kind. Comprises poetry, fiction, and scholarly work written by eighty contributors, including several preeminent Black authors such as Ntozake Shange, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Terry McMillan, Chester Himes, Rita Dove, Gloria Naylor, Ted Joans, and many more. Each section is preceded by a reproduction of erotic art and photography, including work by James Van Der Zee and Romare Bearden. DeCosta-Willis later stated she believes the genre grew in popularity partly in response to the AIDS epidemic, which demanded an outlet for sexual expression. Laid in is an errata slip and a newspaper clipping with an interview with DeCosta-Willis. First printing with complete number row to copyright page. Published simultaneously in hardcover. Light embrowning to text; light edgewear to wraps. Near fine. Item #6419
$45.00