“Like the jazz musicians say, ‘Everything is everything,’” writer Pearl Cleage quotes as she reflects on what she would say to her younger self. Known for her novel, What Crazy Looks Like on an Ordinary Day, which was featured in Oprah’s Book Club; her play, “Flyin’ West”; and her book, Blues for an Alabama Sky, which had a recent production in London, Pearl is a phenomenal playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist.
Growing up with a family deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement and having always been a storyteller, Pearl knew her writing would be her tool for activism where writer's block wouldn’t be an issue since “We’re still trying to get free.” The rich civil rights culture, activism, and art in Atlanta led Pearl to attend Spelman College from Detroit, Michigan. The city resonated with her deeply. Pearl worked at what is now known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, collecting and preserving materials, including transcribing speeches and stories from the Civil Rights Movement. Her time working closely with civil rights activists taught her that struggle and joy are not separate entities but intersect in a balanced life, an understanding that significantly impacted her writing.
Influences from writers like Langston Hughes, Alice Walker, and Ntozake Shange inspired her to tell stories centered around everyday Black people, especially Black women. Pearl powerfully captures these experiences in her work, exploring the fullness and complexity of life between the intersections of our personal and political lives. She sees her role as a writer as reflecting the truth of what Black women experience. She shows that even while fighting for justice, people can still experience life and all its beauty—falling in love, raising children, sharing, and creating memories within friendships. This perspective shaped her writing, and she wanted to emphasize the importance of everyday triumphs just as much as more immense struggles for justice within the community.
As she grows through life, so do the themes she explores in her work. While earlier works focused on discovering the world, falling in and out of love, and figuring out life choices—themes more reflective of someone in their 20s—Pearl is interested in delving into cross-generational conversations as she now has children and grandchildren. She desires to cultivate an open space for dialogue and transparency, without judgment, between generations through shared experiences, particularly regarding culture, art, music, and dance. She believes this medium will connect people across generations for a deeper emotional understanding of our collective consciousness. Instead of burying or “scrubbing these stories clean,” as she says, Pearl believes there is real power in the exchange of experiences between generations to create authenticity in communication and understanding.
Pearl’s storytelling has inspired and shaped a new generation of writers to tell their truths. Reflecting on her own journey as a young writer who had worries, she tells her younger self and younger writers to prioritize creating honest, authentic stories instead of focusing on commercial success.
“Don’t worry about the ‘what if?’ because you should only concern yourself with ‘what is.’”
Currently in residence at Atlanta's Alliance Theater, Pearl remains actively engaged in her craft. She is eagerly looking forward to upcoming projects, including sharing a play she and her husband, Azaron Burnett, are writing, entitled, “Off Day at Chickens.”
“Don’t worry about the ‘what if?’ Only concern yourself with ‘what is.’”