Box 93

Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: Subseries 1.10, If I Can Cook/You Know God Can, 1994-1997, undated, includes handwritten and typewritten manuscripts of chapters and recipes.If I Can Cook/You Know God Can, written by Shange and first published by Beacon Press in 1998, is a culinary memoir and recipe book of traditional Black cuisine connecting significant moments in Black history throughout the diaspora with traditional dishes created or reemerging at the...

Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: Subseries 1.18, Some Sing, Some Cry, 1977-2010, undated, includes extensive drafts, edits, rewrites, proofs, and correspondence. Published in 2010 and written by Shange and her sister, Ifa Bayeza, Some Sing, Some Cry is an epic novel telling the story of seven generations of a family of Black women in the U.S. Some Sing, Some Cry was originally titled How I Come By...

Scope and Contents

Manuscript for Homer G. and the Rhapsodies in the Fall of Detroit by Ifa Bayeza, 1998 draft of Aesthetics, Standards, and Practices by Ifa Bayeza

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series 10, Collected Written Works, Music, and Visual Art, 1913-2018, undated, includes selections from Shange’s personal library from her home in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (collected by Barnard archivists and Professor Kim Hall in 2014); as well as other texts, recorded music, and visual artwork collected by Shange. Many of the books and magazines from Shange’s library speak directly to her interests and influences and are annotated; published works by Shange are also included here,...

Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: Subseries 1.25, Other and multiple works, 1996-2018, undated, includes materials related to other works by Shange (for which there were not enough items to constitute a subseries). This subseries also contains groupings of materials in which multiple works were originally arranged together (for example, photocopies of multiple excerpts or poems grouped and edited for performance or anthologies). Types of materials include photocopies of published works (some with notes), typewritten and...

Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series:

Subseries 1.26, Unidentified works, 1978-2004, undated, includes fragments, drafts, and entire works by Shange which could not be identified as part of known published works. Materials include essays; correspondence with and edits from editors; plays or choreopoems including stage directions and other production notes; mixed media artwork, picture book pages, and/or storyboards; and poems.

Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: Subseries 2.1, Business, 1984-2018, undated, contains professional correspondence between Shange and editors, agents, producers, as well as publicity materials, travel documents and itineraries, invitations, fundraising asks, membership materials, performance notes, recommendation letters, requests for Shange’s critique or blurbs for other works, royalty statements and payments, and contracts received or sent by Shange. Much of the correspondence relates to works by Shange and in some cases...

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series 3, Journals, Agendas, and Notes, 1972-2018, undated, includes notebooks, journals, agendas, notepads, lists, scratch paper, photocopies, and other notes related to Shange’s personal, professional, and creative life. The materials in this series contain personal diary entries and musings, some of which make mention of family and friends; journal entries about dreams; notes and materials related to personal health and recovery from substance abuse and strokes; notes, research materials,...

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series 3, Journals, Agendas, and Notes, 1972-2018, undated, includes notebooks, journals, agendas, notepads, lists, scratch paper, photocopies, and other notes related to Shange’s personal, professional, and creative life. The materials in this series contain personal diary entries and musings, some of which make mention of family and friends; journal entries about dreams; notes and materials related to personal health and recovery from substance abuse and strokes; notes, research materials,...

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series 4, Press, Programs, and Ephemera, 1970-2019, undated, includes newspapers and magazine clippings with coverage and reviews of Shange’s and others’ works; playbills and programs; flyers and posters; press materials for works of Shange’s and works of others that she attended; recordings of television and radio media appearances; and ephemera such as travel itineraries, theater tickets, and book jackets. This series documents both Shange’s own creative output and frequent speaking...

Scope and Contents From the Series: Series 4, Press, Programs, and Ephemera, 1970-2019, undated, includes newspapers and magazine clippings with coverage and reviews of Shange’s and others’ works; playbills and programs; flyers and posters; press materials for works of Shange’s and works of others that she attended; recordings of television and radio media appearances; and ephemera such as travel itineraries, theater tickets, and book jackets. This series documents both Shange’s own creative output and frequent speaking...

Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: Subseries 1.25, Other and multiple works, 1996-2018, undated, includes materials related to other works by Shange (for which there were not enough items to constitute a subseries). This subseries also contains groupings of materials in which multiple works were originally arranged together (for example, photocopies of multiple excerpts or poems grouped and edited for performance or anthologies). Types of materials include photocopies of published works (some with notes), typewritten and...