Ntozake Shange
Born in Trenton, NJ, in 1948, Shange has amassed an incredible amount of achievements across various literary and performance art spectra. We thank her for her incredible contributions to the arts, and the world.
Books
Betsey Brown. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 1985.
Dance We Do: A Poet Explores Black Dance. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2020.
From Okra to Greens. St. Paul, MN: Coffee House Press, 1984.
If I Can Cook/You Know God Can. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1998.
Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers,1982.
Liliane. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 1994.
Ridin' the Moon in Texas: Word Paintings. New York, NY: St Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 1987.
Sassafrass. San Lorenzo, CA: Shameless Hussy Press, 1976, 1977.
Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 1982.
Sing a Black Girl's Song: The Unpublished Work of Ntozake Shange. New York, NY: Legacy Lit, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, 2023.
The Sweet Breath of Life: A Poetic Narrative of the African-American Family. New York, NY: Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Three Pieces. New York, NY: St Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 1981.
Children’s & Young Adult Books
Coretta Scott. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2009.
Daddy Says. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2003.
Ellington Was Not a Street. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2004.
Float Like a Butterfly. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, 2002.
Freedom's A-Callin Me. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2012.
We Troubled the Waters. New York, NY: Amistad Press, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2009.
Whitewash. New York, NY: Walker & Co, 1997.
Plays
A Photograph: A Study of Cruelty. The Public Theater LuEsther Hall, New York, N, Dec 1, 1977 – Jan 22, 1978.
A Photograph: Lovers in Motion. New York, NY: S. French, 1981.
From Okra to Greens: A Different Kinda Love Story: A Play with Music & Dance. New York, NY: S. French, 1985.
Spell #7: A Theater Piece in Two Acts. New York, NY: S. French, 1981.
Plays: 1. North Yorkshire, UK: Methuen Publishing, 1992.
Black and White Two-Dimensional Planes. Alexandria, VA: Alexander Street Press, 2004.
Poetry
A Daughter’s Geography. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 1983.
I Am an Old Woman. Kensington, CA: Grizzly Peak Press, 2019.
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf. San Lorenzo, CA: Shameless Hussy Press, 1975.
I Live in Music. New York, NY: Stewart, Tabori, & Chang, September 1994.
Nappy Edges. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 1978.
The Love Space Demands: A Continuing Saga. New York, NY: St Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 1991.
Wild Beauty: New and Selected Poems. New York, NY: 37 INK, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2017.
Essay Collections
See No Evil: Prefaces, Essays & Accounts, 1976-1983. San Francisco, CA: Momo’s Press, 1984.
lost in language & sound: or how i found my way to the arts: essays. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 2011.
With Omar Kholeif
Rashid Johnson: The Rainbow Sign. Los Angeles, CA: David Kordansky Gallery, 2019.
With Ifa Bayeza
Some Sing, Some Cry. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers, 2010.
Works Edited
The Beacon Best of 1999: Creative Writing by Women and Men of All Colors. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1999.
Appears in
Johnson, Pamela. Tenderheaded: A Comb-Bending Collection of Hair Stories. New York, NY: Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2002.
Love’s Fire. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins, 1998.
Awards & Nominations
Audience Development Committee (AUDELCO) Award, 1976, For Colored Girls Who Have
Barnard College, Nori Eboraci Award, 1988.
Borough of Manhattan, Proclamation of “Ntozake Shange Day,” June 14th, 2014.
Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
Columbia University, Medal of Excellence, 1981.
Emmy Award, 1977, nominee, Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, An Evening with Diana Ross The Big Event.
Grammy Award, 1978, nominee, Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf.”
Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, 1981.
Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund writer's award, 1992.
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Poetry, 1981, Three Pieces.
Lucille Lortel Awards, Playwrights Sidewalk Inductee, 2023.
NDEA fellow, 1973.
Obie Award, 1981, for Mother Courage and Her Children.
Obie Award for Distinguished Productions, 1997, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Broadway Musical, 1997, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
Paul Robeson Achievement Award, 1992.
The City College of New York, Langston Huges Medal, 2016.
The Poetry Society of America, Shelley Memorial Award, 2018.
Tony Award, 1977, nominee, Tony Award for Best Play, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
Compiled by Lindsey Blaser.