| When I mentioned to a female acquaintance my plan to compile this anthology, she greeted the news with a grunt, then asked, "Do you think you'll get any material?" The response of another friend was a short, brittle laugh, followed by: "You must be expecting a teeny- tiny little book." These reactions came as no surprise; they were the all too frequent indications that many African-American women have found their relationships with their men disastrous. Personal statements about the reputed worthlessness of black men proliferate, while daily media reports remind us of the extent to which they have fallen. |
| Nevertheless, I believe that, for every negative example of black manhood caught in the public spotlight, there are numerous others who are quietly living exemplary lives without ever seeing their names in print. Feeling a need to bring them out of the shadows and tell them, "We see you; we know you are there, and we appreciate your presence in our lives," I decided to pay tribute to them through poetry, the means that is most natural for me, and so, Adam of If was conceived. |
| I set out to reach as many black women poets as possible, either through direct contact or through press releases to magazines and journals, for it was important to me to solicit fresh material. Far too many anthologists have drawn their material entirely from other anthologies. As a result, poets whose names readers recognize are often known only for the same three or four poems that have been reprinted to death for years, or even decades, while their more recent work remains relatively unknown. In the meantime, many deserving newer poets go unnoticed. |
| Some of the periodicals contacted published notices; some, arguing that this information should be paid advertising, did not. At least one editor with good intentions simply procrastinated and let the press release languish on his desk. But that old reliable grapevine got busy, one poet passing on the word to others. The response was tremendous. Some poets went to the trouble to include encouraging notes about the need for such a project. I regret that we were not able to reach all those who might have wished to contribute and to use every entry that did come in, but I |
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