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Hello Wonderful Reader,

Today, I’ve chosen a very special unpublished poem and writing prompts for you to explore the power of forbidden love. You’ll discover why the poet never published this work in a second. So grab a pen and paper, and let’s uncover some of your juicy secrets…

Evanescence

(unpublished, 1920s)

By Angelina Weld Grimké (1880 – 1958)

You are like a pale purple flower

   In the blue spring dusk . . . . . .

You are like a yellow star

Budding and glowing

In an apricot sky . . . . . .

You are like the beauty

Of a voice . . . . . .

Remembered after death . . . . . .

You are like thin, white petals

Falling

          And

                 Floating

                               Down

Upon the white, stilled hushing

                Of my soul.

Source: Aphrodite’s Daughters: Three Modernist Poets of the Harlem Renaissance.

Your 4 Writing Prompts on Forbidden Love 🩵

Write about any secret lovers you haven’t told anyone about.

You are like the beauty

Of a voice . . . . . .

Remembered after death . . . . . .

Write about a fragile love that the world tried to take away from you.

You are like a pale purple flower

In the blue spring dusk . . . . . .

Write about falling for someone you weren’t supposed to.

Falling

          And

         Floating

                       Down

Write about the small miracles that brought you and a forbidden lover together.

“You are like a yellow star”

The Backstory 📜

Uncovering the unpublished poems of Angelina Weld Grimké (1880-1958)

I first heard of Angelina Weld Grimké while researching for The Intimacy Journal on poets.org. I discovered that she was a journalist, teacher, playwright, and poet, and an influential figure in the Harlem Renaissance, but much of Grimké’s intimate poetry remained unpublished during her lifetime. Why? Well, works like this week’s featured poem from the 1920s, “Evanescence,” were about same-sex relationships. This was culturally forbidden at the time. I ended up featuring two of her poems in The Intimacy Journal, because it was impossible to pick just one!

Diving deeper into erotic poetry, I found a book that centered on Grimké’s work, called Aphrodite’s Daughters: Three Modernist Poets of the Harlem Renaissance. This was written by Professor Maureen Honey, who recently retired from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln after a 40-year career!

She is 80 years old, and naturally, I sent her an email.

This is what she responded:

“I’ve written a lot about the Harlem Renaissance, and Grimké was its premier poet...her published poetry numbered about 40 pieces, I think, while the unpublished is the most erotic…I accessed the unpublished work from reading her journal, held at at the [Moorland Spingarn Research Center at Howard University], and in correspondence between her and her father, her closest female friend, Tessa Lee, her young classmate/friend/neighbor Mary Burrill, and many others...there is no published collection, which is a shame. I could put one together, and would love to, but I’m retired...I’ve got copies of Grimke’s poetry in alphabetical order in files I kept from my office...Again, thank you for contacting me, Tash, and do let me know how your newest project comes along. Good luck!”

It seems like somebody needs to publish these poems! 😂

Photo from a 1923 publication, when she was 43 years young.

A Quick Update From Me 🚀

When I’m not sinking my teeth into some juicy, erotic poetry from the 1920s, I’ve been working on setting up my online storefront, which should be done this week. In the meantime, if you want your copy of The Intimacy Journal, DM me on Instagram. Plus, next week, I’m giving my first external paid workshop at Soho House in Mexico City! I’m terrified, but in a good way. I think we will have the workshop inside, not by the fabulous pool, unfortunately:

I hope you enjoyed this erotic invitation! Reply with your reflections. I’d love to hear them.

Sending love,

Tash

💌 ✍️

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