Deals With the Devil: And Other Reasons to Riot [Paperback]

Pearl Cleage (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1994

Dead on, to the point, fearless. A third-generation black nationalist feminist, Pearl Cleage recognizes the pure power of telling the truth -- about African-American life and about the fate of the race in racist America. This book will incite any and all thinking people to ponder, argue, rage, reflect, and maybe even riot . . . .
"Uncompromising . . . Blistering." -- San Francisco Chronicle

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cleage, a columnist for the Atlanta Tribune , editor of Catalyst magazine and director of a theater company, offers approximately 40 pointed, colloquial and lively essays rising from an anger that is both feminist and black nationalist. An "outsider by choice as well as historical imperative," Cleage gets nervous when Bill Clinton makes her feel included and argues that America's integrationist dream is a "perverse fantasy" for blacks. Though she attacks Clarence Thomas as "an enemy of our race," she refuses to honor Anita Hill, arguing that Hill's service to the Reagan administration marked her as a "collaborator." Cleage is most forceful when she writes about race and sex. She can no longer celebrate Miles Davis when she learns he beats women, but her arguments that blacks are always right in interracial discussions of race and that "conscious" women are always right in discussions about sexism are certainly debatable. Other topics include Malcolm X, the film Driving Miss Daisy and Cleage's reflections on love, marriage and friends. A worthy voice.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This no-holds-barred, no-words-minced collection gathers essays and performance pieces written and delivered since 1987 by Cleage, an Atlanta writer ( The Brass Bed and Other Stories , LJ 5/15/91), performance artist, and playwright. Since she is a "third-generation Black Nationalist" writing "to help herself understand the full effects of being black and female in a culture that is both racist and sexist," there is no garden club, country club, or investment club talk. There is, however, "Basic Training" talk: women--and men--are told the sexist and racist facts of life. A significant part of Cleage's focus is upon the pervasiveness in American society of violence against women. In no uncertain terms. she expounds upon the differences between a hero and a "shero." Cleage's comments on Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, Spike Lee, Malcolm X, pornography, and the U.S. Supreme Court make for stimulating reading. Her voice needs and deserves to be heard: all libraries should ensure that that happens.
- Katherine Dahl, Western Illinois Univ., Macomb
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (P); Reprint edition (July 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345388712
• ISBN-13: 978-0345388711
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,441,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Incisive August 25, 2002

By MarvelousMarla VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This collection of essays from Pearl Cleage, Black nationalist, feminist (actually a womanist) and artist gives her views on sexism, domestic abuse and racism. These essays were written in the early 90's and delve into controversies as diverse as the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Miles Davis' brutality to women, the flap over Luther Campbell's raunchy lyrics and the fuss over Spike Lee's films. Lee came under fire from scared White folks who feared (unnecesarily)that "Do the Right Thing," would incite violence and angry Black activists who worried that "X" would be a disservice to Malcolm's legacy. Cleage gives her own take on these events and many others that I won't attempt to list here. She lets no one off the hook and challenges us all to think critically instead following the herd.

I was a little put off by the first few essays in this collection because the author comes off as overwrought in the discussions about sexism, but the more I read with an objective eye I began to get upset myself. If it is true as she says that five women are murdered each day by men who claim to love them -- then why aren't more people discussing this? Domestic abuse certainly affects Black women across all socieconomic strata, yet you rarely hear Black leaders discussing it. Where is the outrage and condemnation? Where are Jesse, Johnnie, Al and all the other perennial frontmen for issues of race and racism? I am ashamed to admit that I never really gave much thought to sexism and domestic abuse, and this book was a real eye-opener.

"Mad at Miles," asks why so many people continued to support an artist who admitted to being abusive to his wife and was rumored to have beaten other women also.... According to Cleage, fans were willing to turn a blind eye to Davis' mean streak even after he revealed in book that a frightened Cicely Tyson once called the police on him after he slapped the taste out of her mouth. And the incident isn't relayed with any sense of remorse. Still, folks continue to buy his work reasoning that she either asked for it, or protesting that his private life was off-limits. Cleage asks whether the same support would be afforded to a White artist who admitted to beating Black men who got on his nerves. Very interesting. While Cleage is Mad at Miles, she is supportive (if uncomfortably) of Luther Campbell's right to make his profane "music" and even allowed her teenage daughter to buy his CD.

Although Cleage takes issue with Black men who supported Clarence Thomas publicly while voicing their misgivings privately just for the sake of supporting the brother, she is also critical of Anita Hill for having taken so long to come forward about the harrassment she endured at his hands. This delay lead Cleage to question whether Hill is really the "Shero" she was made out to be after the hearings concluded. The way Cleage sees it, Hill's failure to report the harrassment violated the laws she was supposed to be uphold, and she only came forward during the hearings because she was compelled to do so, which was not quite as honorable as it would have been had she come forward on her own. Or even better, if she had reported Uncle Thomas way back when he first got out of line.

Passionate and informed, Cleage has firm opinions on everything, and while I might not always agree with her position, I do admire her zeal. And just because you don't agree with someone that doesn't preclude you from learning something from her. This book will make you rethink some things about your own thought process and values, and for that I am grateful. After all, it is challenge that leads to growth. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Survival Manual for the Black Woman's Psyche April 19, 2001

By M. Hart

Format:Hardcover

In this collection of essays, Pearl Cleage seems to speak my thoughts -- all of the things that I think about but am afraid to say for fear of being labeled as a traitor to my race. And she says these things in an easily readible down to earth tone. Cleage takes a brave stand - calling out the inequities that come from being a member of an oppressed sex within an oppressed race. This book is one of several that essentially changed my life, letting me know that the notion that gender struggles must take a backseat to racial struggles is not only misguided but dangerous.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THOUGHT PROVOKING February 1, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Cleage is an unsung master of the essay. She writes about issues that affect African Americans that are on eveybody's lips but also about things that do not come up as often. I would certainly recommend this book to any man or woman who wants to thinks critically about gender and how it plays itself out in the African American community. Cleage writes about people you know and celebrates them when they are beautiful as tell it like it is when they are wrong. "Deals With the Devil" is an excellent choice for book clubs because it lends itself easily to discussion and debate. In short, READ this book, then pass it on.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THOUGHT PROVOKING February 1, 1998

By Tayari Jones

Format:Paperback

Cleage is an unsung master of the essay. She writes about issues that affect African Americans that are on eveybody's lips but also about things that do not come up as often. I would certainly recommend this book to any man or woman who wants to thinks critically about gender and how it plays itself out in the African American community. Cleage writes about people you know and celebrates them when they are beautiful as tell it like it is when they are wrong. "Deals With the Devil" is an excellent choice for book clubs because it lends itself easily to discussion and debate. In short, READ this book, then pass it on.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If I Read This Book When I Was In An Abusive Marriage, I Would Have Left Sooner June 29, 2011

By Paula White

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved this book. I happened to see this book in a bookstore when I was married to an abusive man. Eventually I divorced this man after thirteen years, but I remembered how strong my intuition was when I first laid eyes on this book. I received domestic violence counseling and I finally read the book this month. If I had read it when I was married, I would have gotten a divorce sooner. Many thanks to Pearl Cleage for writing it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal! May 29, 2011

By QueenOfReviews

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A must read for every young women coming into womanhood. The lessons are priceless and the book is perfect for the obedient and rebellious. Cautionary tales and advice to benefit women everywhere!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars PASSIONATE, PUNGENT ESSAYS FROM AN IMPORTANT WRITER December 1, 2010

By Steven H. Propp TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Pearl Cleage is an Atlanta based writer whose first novel, What Looks LIke Crazy On an Ordinary Day, was an Oprah Book Club pick and a New York Times bestseller.

Here are some quotations from the book:

"I wonder why Haki Mudhubuti and Zaron Burnett, Jr., and Donald Stone are the exceptions and not the rule when their works focus on black male responsibility for admitting to and then stopping the war that is being waged against black women and children by the men who should be our closest allies and most ardent advocates." (Pg. 4)
"Is it because we bleed so regularly that everybody thinks we are supposed to? Is that the reason? Is it because they can hit us that they do hit us?" (Pg. 8)
"These are the other facts of life. The ones your mother probably didn't tell you becasue she didn't want to scare you. What she didn't realize was that being scared isn't the most terrible thing that can happen. Being unprepared is much worse." (Pg. 13)
"There is no white man physically present in the house when a black man decides to beat his wife. There is no white man present when black men prey on women old enough to be their grandmothers to get money for crack. There is no white man present when black girls are not safe from rape in their own neighborhoods or in their own front rooms. There is no white man present at the conception of a black baby, who will be born with AIDS because the father had been sharing needles. And, yes, I really do understand that white men are responsible for the madness, but who is responsible for the cure?" (Pg. 23)
"ALL men---including black men---born and raised in America are sexists, even those who are consciously struggling against it.... Men are never completely cured of sexism. They can, however, consciously and consistently alter their behavior. Sort of like recovering alcoholics." (Pg. 27)
"Being an African American Urban nationalist doesn't mean calling for separatism. It means recognizing that most of us are already separate, by choice or by circumstance." (Pg. 116) Read more ›