Pearl Cleage (December 7, 1948) (pronounced: “cleg”) 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. In conjunction with her writing, Cleage is also 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 subject to many scholarly analyses. Many of her works across several genres have earned both popular and critical acclaim. Notably, her novel What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (1997) was a 1998 Oprah's Book Club selection.