Alice Malsenior Walker
was born in 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia, USA. She was the last
born of eight children, and her parents were sharecroppers. She was a bold child,
and was often engaged in the practice of “people watching” – a very useful
habit for an author to have. When Alice Walker was 8, one of her brothers
accidentally shot her in the eye with an air gun. Her brothers feared
retribution from their parents, and got Alice to lie, saying that she had
injured her eye on a piece of wire. Not realising the extent of her
injury, her parents tried to treat it themselves. Only when Alice got a fever,
did they get a doctor to look at her. Due to the delay in treatment, Alice
ended up with an ugly scar. She was teased by her schoolmates, and
withdrew into herself. She used to pray to God to make her beautiful again.
Alice Walker looks to have used this experience in her writing - Celie's
letters in “The Color Purple” are, of course, directed to God, and could also
be viewed as kind of prayers. Celie is not a handsome woman in her physical
appearance, and no doubt Alice was the recipient of comments like that of
Shug's when first encountering Celie: "You sure is ugly". When she
was 14, one of Alice's brothers took her to hospital, and got the scar removed.
With the loss of the scar, Alice bloomed mentally as well as physically. She
became more confident and outgoing. Celie also blooms when she recognises the
hidden beauty within herself, after Shug has used the metaphor of "the
color purple" in a field to describe such hidden beauty. Alice developed a
love for literature whilst she was scarred, as it provided an escape from her
anguish. This obviously was instrumental in Alice Walker later becoming a
novelist. She was the most popular student in her class at age 16, and was also
voted queen of the prom.
She then attended
Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, an institution dedicated to educating
African American women. The state of Georgia gave her a rehabilitation
scholarship due to her disability.
Alice Walker began to play an
active role in the Civil Rights movement, sitting at the front of a bus in
defiance of segregation on the bus to Atlanta, a la Rosa Parkes. She participated
in Martin Luther King’s famous March on Washington.
After some time, Alice found Spelman
too stifling and conservative, so left to attend Sarah Lawrence College in New
York, a far more liberal institution.
Another traumatic experience in her life was when she had an abortion whilst at Sarah Lawrence, and perhaps this is reflected in her fiction in the fantasy of Celie being reunited with the children who she lost contact with. Alice became depressed after the abortion, and started to write poetry. She passed her work onto one of her professors, Muriel Rekeyser, who was so impressed that she passed onto the literary agent, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. These poems formed the basis of Alice Walker’s first volume of poetry in 1968, “Once”.
After she graduated, she returned to Georgia and resumed her civil rights activities. She married the civil rights lawyer Melvyn Rosenman Leventhal, and they were the first legally married interracial couple in Mississippi in 1967. That year also saw the publication of her first short story, “To Hell with Dying”. Alice Walker completed writing her first novel just 3 days before the birth of her daughter. “The Third Life of Grange Copeland” was published in 1970. Since she had never been taught any books by African Americans in any of her literary courses, Alice Walker sought such works out and was introduced to the fiction of Zora Neale Hurston. Zora’s fiction affected her so much that Alice was compelled to find her grave, which was in so much disarray that she tidied it up with a friend, and paid for a gravestone to be erected. 1973 saw the publication of Alice Walker’s 2nd volume of poetry – “Revolutionary Petunias and other Poems”, and her 1st volume of short stories – “In Love and In Trouble”. In 1974 Alice Walker’s reader’s guide, “Langston Hughes: American poet”, was published.
The family moved to New York, where Alice worked part time as a contributing editor to Ms. Magazine. Her second novel, “Meridian”, was published in 1976. Alice and her husband divorced, but the split was amicable. Her 3rd volume of poetry – “Goodnight Willie Lee, I’ll see you in the morning” – followed. The success of “Meridian” led to Alice Walker winning a Guggenheim Foundation grant, which gave her financial security for some time and allowed her to focus on her writing. Her 2nd collection of short stories – “You Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down” – was published in 1981. This was followed in 1983 by the publication of her most famous novel – “The Color Purple”, which won her The Pulitzer Prize. The same year saw the publication of her 1st volume of essays, “In Search of our Mother’s Gardens”. During this time, Alice Walker contracted the debilitating Lyme’s Disease from tick bites. In 1984, she released her 4th volume of poetry – “Horses make a Landscape more Beautiful”. She also started up the Wild Trees Press.
Warner Brothers paid Alice Walker $350,000 for the movie rights for “The Color Purple”. She is also hired as a consultant to the movie, and writes a script that is not used (given the final result, it would have been better if it had). Steven Spielberg pulls his punches in this movie, something that he avoided in his later unflinching portrait of the Warsaw ghetto in “Schindler’s List”. Alice Walker was also criticised for the negative portrayal of black men by people who don’t seem to have read the novel, or by folk who seem to forget that Shug is hardly a saint throughout the novel. However, the movie featured brilliant performances by the previously unknown Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. Rebecca Walker, Alice’s daughter, worked as a production assistant on the movie. Alice Walker had stipulated that half the production crew be Black and female.
Her short story, “Kindred Spirits”, won The O. Henry Award. In 1988, “To Hell with Dying” was released as a children’s book, and her 2nd collection of essays – “Living by the Word” – was released. Her 4th novel, “The Temple of my Familiar”, was released in 1989. It took most of a decade to write, and seems to have disappointed fans of “The Color Purple”. 1991 saw the release of Alice Walker’s 2nd children’s book – “Finding the Green Stone” and a volume of her collected poems, “Her Blue Body Everything we Know”. In 1992, Alice Walker’s 4th novel, “Possessing the Secret of Joy”, caused controversy with its depiction of female genital mutilation. She followed this up by making a documentary about the practice – “Warrior Marks”. 1996 saw the release of her 3rd volume of essays, “The Same River Twice”, which included her unused movie script for “The Color Purple”. This was followed in 1997 by her 4th volume of essays, “Anything we Loved can be Saved”. In 1998, her next novel, “By the Light of my Father’s Smile”, was released. 2000 saw the publication of her next collection of stories, “The Way Forward is with a Broken Heart”. In 2001, “Sent by Earth: A Message from the Grandmother Spirit after the Bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon” was published. Two volumes of poetry were released in 2003 – “Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth” and “A Poem Travelled Down my Arm”. Oprah Winfrey has announced that she is going to be a producer of the upcoming musical of “The Color Purple”, and that she has invested $1million into the production, which will now be entitled “Oprah Winfrey presents: The Color Purple”. Quincy Jones, who wrote the music for the movie of “The Color Purple”, will also be a producer on the show. Alice Walker’s next novel, “Now is the Time to Open your Heart”, was published in 2004. “The Color Purple” was turned into a musical by director Gary Griffin in 2004. The musical has broken the takings record for the theatre that it is playing at between Christmas and the New Year on Broadway.
Finding Langston – from “The Way Forward is with a Broken Heart” – in this brilliant extract, Alice Walker writes about her search for a father, meeting Langston Hughes and awkwardly turning down his request for a lift, and her relationship with her husband
The two of us – Alice Walker writes of her relationship with her daughter
The place where I was born – an extract from “Her Blue Body Everything We Know”
Letter from Alice Walker to President Clinton – Alice Walker voices her concerns about America’s tightening of the embargo of Cuba in the 90s
Rites held in Georgia for Minnie G. Walker, mother of “Color Purple” author Alice Walker – this obituary says that Alice Walker’s mother was a great storyteller. However, in “Feeling Free”, Alice Walker says that it was her father who was the storyteller
Walker’s daughter details unhappy life – Rebecca Walker talks to Michael Shelden after the publication of her memoirs
Living by Grace – provides an extensive biography of Alice Walker, but it currently stops in 1998
Arkansas Democrat Gazette – tells the compelling story of how Evelyn White completed Alice Walker’s biography in only 4 years
Alice Walker: USA wishes to impose domination on Cuba – Alice Walker explains why she is opposed to the Bush administration’s policy on Cuba
Woman’s Hour – BBC Radio 4’s interviews with Alice Walker
Alice’s Wonderland – Evelyn C. White, Alice Walker’s official biographer, gives details of Alice Walker’s reaction to the movie of “The Color Purple” in “The Same River Twice”
Alice Walker on Activism – Evelyn C. White presents Alice Walker’s sometimes controversial views
Alice Walker – Alexis De Veaux’s interview with her from 1989 discusses “The Temple of my Familiar”
Alice Walker: “Color Purple” author confronts her critics and talks about her provocative new book – Charles Whitaker’s interview with Alice after the publication of “Possessing the Secret of Joy”
Alice Walker’s appeal – Alice discusses clitoridectomy with Paula Giddings after the publication of “Possessing the Secret of Joy”
The Cutting Edge – Erich Eichman’s view of the launch party for “Possessing the Secret of Joy”
Versed in Goodness – Rosemary Herbert talks to Alice Walker about the publication of “Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth”
Alice Walker: On Finding your Bliss – Evelyn C. White interviews Alice after the publication of “By the Light of my Father’s Smile”
Alice Walker interview – Alice Walker talks to Esther Iverem after the release of the special DVD edition of “The Color Purple”
Feeling Free – Alice Walker talks to Jeff Guinn in 2004
Alice Walker on the “toxic culture” of globalization – Amy Goodman’s interview. Alice Walker says one of her great, great, great grandmothers lived to be 105
Alice Walker opens her heart to mother earth – Phyllis Alesia Perry talks to Alice Walker after the publication of “Now is the Time to Open Your Heart”
An American Tale not just told in Black and White – Chris Ayres talks to Alice Walker for The Times
The Color Purple takes its journey to Broadway – Ernio Hernandez talks to producer Scott Sanders
Nods for Jones, LaChanze as other “Purple” stars are shut out – more news on LaChanze’s winning of the 2006 Tony Award for the Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Democracy Now! – their 2006 interview with Alice Walker
Alice Walker’s vision of the South in “The Third Life of Grange Copeland” – Robert James’ essay in “African American Review” Summer 1993
The Evolution from Accepted Oppression to Moral Righteousness of the title character in Alice Walker’s “The Third Life of Grange Copeland” – an anonymous essay
“A broken and bloody hoop”: the intertextuality of ‘Black Elk Speaks’ and Alice Walker’s ‘Meridian’ – Anne M. Downey’s essay for “Melus” Fall 1994
“You Ain’t Never Caught a Rabbit”: Covering and Signifyin’ in Alice Walker’s “Nineteen Fifty-Five” – David J Mickelsen critiques Alice Walker’s essay in “Southern Quarterly”, Spring 2004
“Black Female Writers’ perspective on religion: Alice Walker and Calixthe Beyala – Wirba Ibrahim Mainimo’s essay in the “Journal of Third World Studies” Spring, 2002
Alice Walker’s Africa: Globalization and the Province of Fiction – Olakunle George’s essay in “Comparative Literature”, Fall 2001. Looks to be concentrated on the female genital mutilation covered in “Possessing the Secret of Joy”
Postmodern ethnography and the womanist mission: postcolonial sensibilities in “Possessing the Secret of Joy” – Angeletta K. M. Gourdine’s essay in “African American Review”
Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” and History – by Kevin Patrick Mahoney – my “Color Purple” essay
Philomela Speaks: Alice Walker’s Revisioning of Rape Archetypes in The Color Purple: Critical Essay – Martha J. Cutter’s essay in “Melus” Fall-Winter 2000.
“You just can’t keep a good woman down”: Alice Walker sings the blues – Maria V. Johnson’s essay in “African American Review” on the blues in “The Color Purple” (Summer 1996)
“Preachin’ the Blues”: Bessie Smith’s secular religion and Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” – Thomas F. Marvin’s essay in “African American Review” Fall 1994
Sewing, quilting, knitting: Handicraft and Freedom in “The Color Purple” and “A Woman’s Story” – Catherine E. Lewis’ essay for “Literature Film Quarterly”, 2001
Race and Domesticity in “The Color Purple” – Linda Selzer’s essay in “African American Review”, Spring 1995
In Spite of it all: A Reading of Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” – Critical Essay – Sam Whitsitt takes a look at Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use” in “African American Review” Fall 2000
Fight vs. Flight: a re-evaluation of Dee in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” – Critical Essay – Susan Farrell’s essay in “Studies in Short Fiction” Spring 1998
Remembering the Dream: Alice Walker, Meridian and the Civil Rights Movement – Roberta M. Hendrickson’s essay in “Melus”, Fall 1999
Jean Toomer and Okot p’Bitek in Alice Walker’s “In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens” – Critical Essay – Matthew A. Fike’s article in “Melus”, Fall-Winter 2000
Green Lap, Brown Embrace, Blue Body: the Ecospirituality of Alice Walker – Afro-American Author – Pamela A. Smith’s essay in “Cross Currents”, Winter 1998
“Not my mother, not my sister, but it’s me , O Lord, standing”: Alice Walker’s “The Child who Favored Daughter” as Neo-Slave narrative – critical essay – Neal A. Lester’s essay for “Studies in Short Fiction”, Summer, 1997
“Dancing out of form, dancing into self”: genre and metaphor in Paule Marshall, Ntozake Shange, Alice Walker – Barbara Frey Waxman’s essay in “Melus”, Fall 1994
Beyond Morrison and Walker: Looking Good and Looking Forward in Contemporary Black Women’s Stories – E. Shelley Reid’s essay in “African American Review”, Summer 2000
Sylvia Plath and Alice Walker: Two women writers challenge society’s conspiracy against women – Catherine Cooper’s essay
Transforming Vision: Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston – Trudy Bush’s article
