“Describe Pearl Cleage in one word,” the interviewer says. A jazz station DJ with that cool voice. My nieces are peeking in the narrow glass of the studio door, big-eyed and giggly. “One word?” I say, thinking oh, god! What a question! And then I just say: “Alive.” “Alive?” he says, sounding surprised. “Okay. That’s an interesting choice.”
Shit, I want to say. Interesting my ass. That’s the whole point! Live and in living color! All the way live! Life and death every time or not interested. I ain’t angst-ridden over nothin’! What could be a better word than “alive”?