Mad at Miles: A Black Woman's Guide to Truth

by Pearl Cleage

Mad at A Black Woman's Guide to Truth [Nov 01, 1990] Cleage, Pearl …

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, African American

64 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1990

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

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot put this book down. In a season of lifeless novels and low-level stereotypical characters, this book is a pleasant distraction. I've known about Pearl Cleage and her books for many years but had never read Mad at Miles. This book speaks of a stark reality that all of us have lived with at varying degrees. Whether you are a personal victim, know someone who is, or simply realize that you live in a world where this exists makes this book a must read - especially for young women so they can keep themselves aware. The more you know, the better you become. Kudos to Ms. Cleage for speaking with such a convicting voice that has resonated since the book's debut over 20 years ago. Every woman needs a little Pearl Cleage in their life at some point or another.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great read. It certainly made me "mad at Miles" when I first read it way back in the day . . . as well as a big fan of Ms. Cleage's work (smile). I must admit, I still enjoy Miles' music, but I do so with the knowledge that he had some serious demons.

[Cassandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I read in the 90's to understand the relationships between black men and women. Pearl discusses the secrets of abuse between black men and women. I feel that it was opening a dialogue that women of color at times hate to face. We as group are effected by racism and how it controls the relationships between us. Anger and rage are suppressed animals that we as people don't really learn how to manage in our lives. Expression of love in Black families are often ignored. I feel that this book looks at the psychological effects and how we need to acknowledge our pain in a constructive way.

[Jai · Rating 4 out of 5]

a Pearl Cleage deep cut.

still as relevant today as ever.

[May Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love of music and miles made me read this book. I have to say that the things I learned of miles and his abuse of women or (his woman) was a bit too much for me to take. I loved his music, I loved him for creating it and to read about this abuse...well I had to step back and ask myself..Can I go on liking him and his music?
I still struggle with it today.

[Rew Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO. GOOD she def made me mad at miles. Pearl cleages writing is so amazing and each word is relevant to today.

[Shellie Rogers-Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, she mad me angry with Miles as well. I was taking classes at Spelman, trying to express my inner feminist, reading everything that would reinforce that ideal. I encountered Pearl Cleage, Dr. Gloria Wade Gayles and bell hooks, all at the same time. From the moment I first heard Kind of Blue, I had fallen in love with Miles Dewey Davis, III, my daddy loved Louis Armstrong, I loved Miles! Later, I would name my youngest son Miles. (Just shows, how much I loved Miles). Later, Michael Jackson and R. Kelly would be involved in serious scandalous lawsuits where I had to decide if I could separate my love for the artist from their horrific alleged "crimes", Much later, I am still grappling with that in reference to Bill Cosby. And, I recalled during those times, what Pearl Cleage said about the artist, his/her art and the person behind both. Great book, relevant still considering the allegations made against Bill Cosby.

[Kurly Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

less about miles and more about the larger cultural issues his abuse is indicative of, but this is for the best. would recommend to literally anyone. full of outrage and beauty.

[Rell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book for a while now and I remember reading parts of it and sitting it to the side. I learned some things that I did not know and I read some things that I could have done without reading. This book will give you a little jolt and show you how differently the man and woman, female and male view abuse. I was so terrified when I read the piece of the book where the girl was running down the road and they rescued her. My heart hurt for everyone that experienced that, especially their young daughter. My heart hurt for the young woman that was running from her man, and my heart hurt more when the husband casually drove away so as to give everyone time to calm down as opposed to taking her to a police station. There are moments like this when I find myself asking is it really that different in regards to what men and women deem are acceptable behaviors.

I think this is an important book that can open the dialogue for conversation

[Venessia · Rating 5 out of 5]

And how can they prey on us and save us, all at the same time? And how can they possess us and abandon us all at the same time? And how can we tell the villains from the heroes and the beaters from the leaders and the good guys from the bad guys? By what they DO, not what they say.

Read the rest of my review on this novel here:

https://bibliophileonabudget.wordpres...

[Amber Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one I’m probably going to carry in my purse and refer to it as a guide to moving in this world as a Black woman. Even though it’s a read that is as old as me it’s still relevant. It’s sad to know that as Black women, much of the experience detailed in this book is what we’re still experiencing in 2021. I wish I’d read this as a teen. It’ll be a required reading for my daughter.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. It described so perfectly the inherent lack of safety of being a Black woman. It holds the lessons that black women must teach their daughters but shouldn't have to. The book was perfectly done.

[Rafael Suleiman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good book on Black feminism.

[Beverly Gooden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential.

[Melissa Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pearl Cleage has been one of my favorite authors, but I for some reason assumed she only wrote fiction. This book. Short and powerful - smacks you about. A very good friend of mine introduced me to Miles Davis by having me listen to Davis' iconic album - Kind of Blue>. Cleage opens her series of essays on black men's violence against black women with this quote:

"[Davis] is guilty of self-confessed violent crimes against women such that we should break his albums, burn his tapes and scratch up his CDs until he acknowledges and apologizes and rethinks his position on The Woman Question."

When she makes this comment two paragraphs into the opening essay, you kinda roll your eyes and think..."but everyone has issues....does that mean we should throw away everything they've created because they lied/cheated/stole/. But by the end of the essay, after she's made her points and repeated the quote several times for emphasis, you may just find yourself in a quandary.

She doesn't stop! "Can we make love to the rhythms of "a little early Miles" when he may have spent the morning of the day he recorded the music slapping one of our sisters in the mouth?" Ouch, ouch, ouch! Don't make me make these decisions, Pearl!!

It's a really short book - only 42 pages - but I think if it had been any longer, she woulda killed us! Lol.

The second essay - about an experience she had with her daughter when they rescued a woman running down the highway from a threatening male - is harrowing in its reality.

When Cleage wrote the book in 1990, she quoted stats saying that five women a day are killed by the men in their lives. Huffington Post reported in 2014 that the number is now 3 a day. That's great. But they also state that 1 in 4 women will be victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes. 1 in 4. That's me, Tam, Carla and Lara. Damn, damn, damn.

The essay on sexism might be a little hard to swallow in its entirety. But the book was still an awesome read for me for two reasons. One - in her intro, she explains that she wrote the book after a man in Montreal walked into a school and shot up the female students only - just because they were female. She said she was so shocked, she didn't know what to do, and all she could do was write. I felt the same way after seeing Alton Sterling shot in the back while laying face down on the ground. I just started writing. Two - domestic violence in our community is still an issue - no matter how other things may downplay it. And we need to do something about it.

[Rosalind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book made me look at artists like Miles Davis a little different. It also made me want to know more about him as a person. I love his music and always will, but I think the author makes a good point that in supporting the artist, we unknowingly supported his lifestyle or maybe validated it on some level. Shouldn't we be angry that Miles Davis abused women? Shouldn't we hold the same disappointment and disgust from his actions as we would our next door neighbor? Does it make it okay for Miles to do it because he's a talented musician? Definitely thought-provoking.

[Zwena Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very empowering book. I thought this book REALLY opens your eyes to the problems we are still having in today's society with sexism. I think this book is great for teenagers not only for young black women but, also, young black men. This book shows how much women are being enslaved not only physically but, also mentally. This book tells the stories of how we began this New culture for the disrespect of Black Women and how to protect yourself from being disrespected and abused.

[Pamela Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short and thin book that finds Ms. Cleage sharing some very personal feelings centering on the disappointment of black women on the treatment received from black men. She focuses quite a bit of this on some things the jazz musician Miles Davis did to black women..Ie Cicely.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Still loves his music

[BMR, LCSW · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. I was already mad at Miles when I read it. LOL. I thought there would be more to this collection.