“Zami: A New Spelling of My Name“ By Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde’s Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is an autobiographical novel that explores the complexities of identity, particularly as it relates to race, gender, and sexuality. In this literary analysis, we will examine how Lorde uses language, structure, and imagery to convey her experiences and ideas in the of the most striking features of Zami is the way that Lorde blends different genres and styles of writing. The book is a hybrid of memoir, poetry, and fiction, which allows Lorde to experiment with different forms of storytelling and to convey the richness and diversity of her own experiences. For example, the book begins with a poem that sets the tone for the rest of the book:“I am fourteenand my skin has betrayed methe boy I cannot live withoutstill sucks his tumbin secrethow come my knees arealways so ashywhat if I diebefore morningand momma’s in the bedroomwith the door closed“This poem captures the raw emotion and vulnerability of adolescence, and it sets the stage for the more d