Nile River Woman: The Very First Poems
by Kola Boof

Released for the first time in the United States, "Nile River Woman" (a 2004 Black History Month Selection) is the provocative poetry collection that got its author, Kola Boof, kicked out of Morocco in 1997 and threatened with death by her former lover, Osama Bin Laden, in 1998. Widely regarded as a classic of Post-Colonial African literature, "Nile River Woman" (originally released as "Every Little Bit Hurts") tantalizes and engages the reader’s imagination as Kola Boof uses conversational motifs, both political and sexual to conjure a dreamily erotic and angry bossa nova type landscape. Most of Boof’s most famous poems are collected here—including the scary but poignant "Fly Away Sleeping", the sweetly hopeful "Black Beauty’s Totem", the understated but evocative "Ebrig: Gone Dry", the hauntingly triumphant "Bint il Nil" and countless other gems…from the freshly original "The Conquering Lion" (A poem honoring Malcolm X) to Kola Boof’s inclusion of Queen Nefertiti’s favorite menstration song—"The Written Words of Faceless Women"—which was originally sang in the 3rd Century B.C. by Black women of the Nile River Valley. The 28 brand new poems that have been added to the collection (college radio favorite "I Love My Man" is included here) only further prove the viability and strength of Kola Boof’s artistry. Boof’s willingness to flaunt a surprising vulnerability along with her trademark rage and sex tease infuses the book with a futuristic edge that only enhances an already solid and powerful anthology. —Hans VolloKerk, Editor of the original version of "Nile River Woman" ("Every Little Bit Hurts").