73 Quotes by Pearl Cleage

Most of us, I think, are conscious of history swirling around outside the door, but when we're in the house, we're usually not dealing with history. We're not thinking about history.

You know the Buddhists believe that sometimes when everything is in turmoil, it's because something wonderful is ready to be born and that thing is distracting you so it can have some privacy during the birthing process.

You can't save a person who doesn't want to be saved. It was like Mr. Eddie always told the new gardeners: Everybody's got to kill their own snakes.

It is a dangerous time to be a black woman in America. It’s a time when we are not safe in the streets or at home or at school or at work and nobody seems to be able to do anything about it. Nobody. Not us. Not our mommas. Not the police. Not the people we elected to look out for our interests. Nobody. We’re just out here. (p.53)

If you don't annoy your big sister for no good reason from time to time, she thinks you don't love her anymore.

But it is the fear, not the writing that defeats me. Everything is not a masterpiece.

Sometimes you have to show them what they want to see in order to get them to show you who they really are.

Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television; solitude is herb tea and soft music.

What looks like crazy on an ordinary day looks looks a lot like love if you catch it in the moonlight.