Brass Bed and Other Stories

by Pearl Cleage

Readers will be enlightened by this chronicle of common experiences from the author of ""Mad At Miles"" and ""Deals With The Devil.""
In ""The Brass Bed,"" a collection of autobiographical short stories, Cleage engages the reader in refreshing prose/poetry which reconciles gender consciousness with the collective African American experience.

Genres: Short Stories

103 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1991

About the author

Pearl Cleage is an African-American playwright, essayist, novelist, poet and political activist. She is currently the Playwright in Residence at the Alliance Theatre and at the Just Us Theater Company. Cleage is a political activist. She tackles issues at the crux of racism and sexism, and is known for her feminist views, particularly regarding her identity as an African-American woman. Her works are highly anthologized and have been the subject of many scholarly analyses. Many of her works across several genres have earned both popular and critical acclaim. Her novel What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (1997) was a 1998 Oprah's Book Club selection.

Reviews

[Lyndsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1991 collection of poems, stories & essays is a treat. Her insightful prose will enlighten you & illuminate beauty, genius & complexity in the mundane. This is a quick read through which you will embark on a journey of artful exploration. I absolutely admire Cleage’s mind, her gender consciousness, her racial awareness, & her ability to lyrically chronicle life experiences.

Favorite Quote: “It’s getting harder and harder to tell the difference between the danger and the protection from the danger.” - Pearl Cleage in “Them Changes” p 54

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of poetry and short stories about what I assumed were stories of the author's life and family history, but the back is tagged as Fiction/African American Studies?

The poems and stories are for the most part about everyday life, but also the history of the titular brass bed as it passes down to the narrator. There's also a funny story about the narrator bribing Daughter to get over her fear of beetles through bribery ($10 per kill).

Interesting read, recommended for anyone interested in African American studies and/or family history.