Comments on: Thus Saith

By: better questions « no snow here

better questions « no snow here — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:16:43 +0000

[...] 23 08 2008 from The Summer of Our Lorde: What is your first memory of hatred? What is your first memory of anger? What is the difference [...]

By: rebecca walker

rebecca walker — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:13:45 +0000

I have used Sister Outsider as a touchstone now for fifteen years. I have engaged the question of anger in several different ways at different points in my life. There were times I didn’t feel the need to look at my anger critically. Times I felt entitled to injure others, just because I could. Times when I felt I needed to be free of anger, to open myself up and become a vast space of peace and vulnerability. Today I think anger is an extremely powerful force to be handled with great care, by people who have the skill and spiritual practice to administer it to cause transformation but not harm. Not unlike the healer who knows how to use snake venom to antidote a snake bite. Very few people can handle such a toxic substance with skill, as a means of healing. Better to work to become that person, than to make a mistake and let one’s anger cause more suffering than good.

By: cheryl clarke

cheryl clarke — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:20:08 +0000

uses of anger is very important as is eye to eye. i am very interested in the “uses” of anger, and like lorde, see it as a resource for us. it is cleansing, productive, and necessary. but i like your question about anger’s connection to privilege. some people who have privilege use anger to get more of what they want. because most people, esp. women, are afraid of anger. the press claims michele obama is an angry black woman–well, as if black women don’t have reasons to be angry. they are lucky angry is all we are. cheryl clarke