Cuttin' the Rug under the Moonlit Sky: Stories and Drawings about a Bunch of Women Named Mae [Hardcover]

Sharony Andrews Green (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 1997

In Cuttin' the Rug Under the Moonlit Sky author and artist Sharony Andrews Green portrays and pays tribute the women in her life-mamas, grandmas, godmamas, sistergirls, girlfriends, kinfolk and kinspirit, some real, some imagined. Comprised of a series of 42 four-color illustrated portraits of many different women all of whom have "Mae" in their names, and accompanying text capturing their idiosyncratic voices, experiences and perspectives on life, Cuttin' the Rug is a lively, revealing and often surprising look at the diversity of black women's lives.

Reading Cuttin' the Rug is "like sittin' on your grandma's porchstep getting the latest gossip about a sister who had a certain dream, disposition or passion." The author developed a special fondness for the name Mae due to its presence in her upbringing and family tree, and the lives of the Maes she portrays span from the turn of the century to the present day. From the fearless Miss Lucy Mae who is headed to the Great White Vermont to the resourceful Ella Mae who dances to pay the rent and feed her babies, they are all survivors with attitude, determination and beauty.

An irresistible mix of pictures and prose, Cuttin' the Rug Under the Moonlit Sky is an exuberant celebration of the strength, endurance, pride and kinship of black women.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In Cuttin' the Rug Under the Moonlit Sky author and artist Sharony Andrews Green portrays and pays tribute the women in her life-mamas, grandmas, godmamas, sistergirls, girlfriends, kinfolk and kinspirit, some real, some imagined. Comprised of a series of 42 four-color illustrated portraits of many different women all of whom have "Mae" in their names, and accompanying text capturing their idiosyncratic voices, experiences and perspectives on life, Cuttin' the Rug is a lively, revealing and often surprising look at the diversity of black women's lives.

Reading Cuttin' the Rug is "like sittin' on your grandma's porchstep getting the latest gossip about a sister who had a certain dream, disposition or passion." The author developed a special fondness for the name Mae due to its presence in her upbringing and family tree, and the lives of the Maes she portrays span from the turn of the century to the present day. From the fearless Miss Lucy Mae who is headed to the Great White Vermont to the resourceful Ella Mae who dances to pay the rent and feed her babies, they are all survivors with attitude, determination and beauty.

An irresistible mix of pictures and prose, Cuttin' the Rug Under the Moonlit Sky is an exuberant celebration of the strength, endurance, pride and kinship of black women.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st Anchor Books ed edition (July 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385488408
• ISBN-13: 978-0385488402
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,029,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuttin' the Rug Under the Moonlit Sky, November 17, 2000

By 

Crystal Mae Smith (Blackwood, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuttin' the Rug under the Moonlit Sky: Stories and Drawings about a Bunch of Women Named Mae (Hardcover)

I'm a Mae, both of my grandmothers are my Mae's, and several of my 10 aunts. This book made me feel part of an even larger legacy of Black women than just the ones in my family. I have a niece on the way and she's going to be a Mae. I'm handing this book down to her to help her out just like its helped me through college (The University of Pennsylvania)...where there weren't too many black women and especially not alot of "Mae's."

Thanks, Sharony ;-)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, imaginative, new talent, July 12, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Hampton, New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuttin' the Rug under the Moonlit Sky: Stories and Drawings about a Bunch of Women Named Mae (Hardcover)

Cuttin' the Rug Under the Moonlit Sky by Sharony Andrews Green is a joy to read and to view. Ms. Green captures the dialect that she heard as a child, the women who touched her life, and the feelings of hope, joy, renewal, and dispair that are so very universal. Each story stands by itself as a tribute or a lesson to anyone wise enough to take the time to read it. Whether one be rich or poor, young or old, black, white red, or blue, whether one hails from city or most rural country, these are stories and people that you will recognize. Ms. Green has discovered the voices of the common and the eccentric, with equal ease and style. Her folk art alone makes the book worth the purchase. It is a great gift for a thoughtful person, and just as wonderful to keep in your own library.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Breath of Fresh Air, August 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cuttin' the Rug under the Moonlit Sky: Stories and Drawings about a Bunch of Women Named Mae (Hardcover)

This book makes you think of home, family, comfort, etc... The stories are warm and heartfelt. You can just open it and read a story and feel better, or just relate to that particular Mae. The art is wonderful also.