Dark Phrases I Cover (1989)

From the Editors of the First Issue, 1989.

“It is as though we whisper to only ourselves when we speak. It is as though we bite our bottom lip with each pulse of our blood.

We have long been unheard though we have never been silent. We have long existed in a world which refuses to hear us, but we never forsake our own voices, our own survival.

This is the language of unuttering darkness, the syntax of our own empowerment, the flesh and spirit enwombed and born in these phrases.”

An artistic and literary publication dedicated to the voices and visions of people of color at Sarah Lawrence College, Dark Phrases was founded following the 1989 sit-in for racial justice at Westlands, where the spirit of resistance and empowerment remains a core foundation of our identity and is reflected in the various works we publish. We publish on our site on a rolling basis under Dark Phrases Digital (DP Digital) and one volume in print in the spring of the academic school year. We welcome submissions of creative arts and writing from all students, faculty, staff, and alumnae/i of color.

Learn more about our history here.

About Us.

Meet the Team