Pearl Cleage Leaves Her Mark on West Philadelphi
Handprints in the Bushfire Theatre Walk of Fame
May 31, 2009
Pearl Michelle Cleage was born on December 7, 1948 in Springfield, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of Alfred Buford and Doris Cleage. Her father was a preacher while her other worked as a school teacher. Pearl no doubt was affected by her father’s active involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.
Her father’s role as a prominent minister and Civil Rights activist coupled with her mother’s academic pursuits opened Pearl to a world of possibilities. Like the characters in her books, she is not one to shy away from a challenge or from speaking her mind. Yet, her tone is gentle and inviting.
Books Authored by Bestselling Writer Pearl Cleage
She is the bestselling author of the books I Wish I Had a Red Dress, Seen It All and Done the Rest, Baby Brother’s Blues, We Speak Your Names, Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do and of course, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day. May 23, 2009, the eclectic writer had her fingerprints set in stone at the Walk of Fame outside Philadelphia’s Bushfire Theatre.
The day was warm and balmy just like some of the days in the scenes in Cleage’s bestselling novels. Pearl Cleage was all smiles as she took the podium outside the theatre. She was honored along with actor Al Freeman, Jr. Both have been active in the Philadelphia theatre as well as in other theatrical venues around the United States.
Pearl Cleage as a Playwright
Known by millions of book readers as a talented and engaging novel writer, people may be surprised to know that Pearl Cleage is known more as a playwright in some artistic circles. In fact, she has a new play out titled Naurema Society Request the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First 100 Years. The play is set in Alabama in 1964 and recounts pivotal scenes from America’s past at a time when the country was caught in the flux of change, namely the Civil Rights Movement along with the impending Vietnam War and the ongoing Women’s Movement.
Other plays that Pearl Cleage has authored include Come and Get These Memories, Porch Songs, Good News and Flyin’ West. Flyin’ West became the most often produced play in the country in 1994. Her runaway bestseller, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day was an Oprah Winfrey Book Club selection. It also earned a nine-week stay on the New York Times bestseller list. Her novel Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do was a Good Morning America Book Club selection.
Pearl Cleage Shares Her Talent and Wisdom
A writer who makes her home in Atlanta, Georgia, Pearl Cleage is a woman who continues to create thought-provoking poetry, plays and books. She is a mother, grandmother and the wife of Zaron Burnett, Jr. Her husband is an author and has written a book titled The Carthaginian Honor Society.
Because Cleage, like singing sensation Aretha Franklin, is not a fan of traveling via an airplane, she and her husband get to speaking engagements and performances the four-wheeled way, in a car. And travel she does. Widely sought after by colleges, universities and organizations as a keynote speaker, it gives one pause to wonder how Cleage finds the time to craft the works that she does. Hers seems a busy life filled with the splendor of loving family, good friends and all the talent any writer could want.
