Honey, Hush!: An Anthology of African American Women's Humor

In the introduction to this dazzling anthology, Dance (Shuckin' and Jivin') notes that our culture's most pervasive images of African American women have tended to be stereotypes that circumscribe and marginalize these women's voices--and make it seem as if there are few differences among them. But here an ample cacophony of voices both attests to the richness and diversity of the African American female experience and demonstrates that humor is a potent means of self-expression. From slave narratives to the contemporary fiction of Gloria Naylor and Terry McMillan, many of these pieces use humor to advance subversive social commentary, but even the most biting critiques here are generally tempered by a spirit of tolerance for foibles and a clear-eyed vision of the complexities of human relations. Dance's cogent introductory commentary provides social and historical context for more than 200 years' worth of material, and her skillful thematic arrangement of these pieces--e.g., ""Nice Girls Don't,"" ""My Sweet Papa,"" ""Just Like a White Man""--makes the volume convenient both for those who want to browse and those who opt to read straight through. (Nov.)