Introduction : Life-writing and subversion -- Autobiography, authorship, and authority -- Black women autobiographers' encounter with gender, race, and class -- A patchwork of cultures : journeys of African American women autobiographers -- The emergence of an African American mother tongue -- Subtle resistance in Our Nig, Incidents, Behind the scenes, and Reminiscences -- Allusion as hidden discourse in Black women's autobiography -- Flagrant resistance, and punishment be damned -- Linkages : continuation of a tradition -- Afterword : Piecing it all together
Summary
''[A] crucial, pioneering book ... deeply engaging because of the intrinsic interest of the texts Stover brings to light.''--Jerrilyn McGregory, Florida State UniversityJohnnie M. Stover explores the origin and power of black women writers' voices using the personal narratives of 19th-century Americans who were slaves or indentured servants
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-237) and index