Drawing on papers, letters, journals, and extensive interviews with Walker, her family, friends, and colleagues, and with leading American cultural figures including Gloria Steinem, Quincy Jones, and Oprah Winfrey, White assesses one of the most influential writers of modern time.
I may be away for a week, and this weeks book by Alice Walker does not interest me; although I give the Author top rating for what she has accomplished.
erma
you won't have missed much. I don't think it tells us anything about this wonderful writer. I'd begun to think I was becoming senile I've found it so muddled.Daphne
I am so excited to read the excerpts from this book and then to buy the book and finish it. 'The Color Purple' had such an impact on me as a young girl, and I've always had a fondness for Alice Walker. What a great choice!!!
The last couple of books, I have not been interested in, but this one has peaked my interest. An avid reader of fiction, I haven't had much experience with non-fiction. I feel that Ms. Walker has a lot to say and can add much to the society of today. I look forward to the weeks to come
From the excerpt I have read of this book - sounds very reminiscent of "The color purple" - know there was a "Shug" in that supposedly fiction book - know authors sometimes draw on their own life or background when writing a novel - am planning to get this book from library asap -
The way that this biography begins is engrossing. I know nothing about this renowned author, and so find her storys as spun by White, to be riveting. Great selection: thanks!
I can't believe how quiet it is in all my forums (f, nf, myst) this week. I feel compelled to post. I absolutly loved the movie "The Color Purple". I have not read the book but I'm sure it's just as incredible. That is really all I know of Ms. Walker but I am anxious to get into her story. The history of Georgia is interesting but I hope we get into some of her background before the week is up. I'm going to put this on my "maybe" list. I'll have to wait and see how the rest of the week goes.
Just returned from an elderhostel trip to Savannah GA where Oglethorpe was mentioned as one of the "founding fathers" of that state. None of what is in White's book, which was not complimentary of this man was mentioned during our lectures. It's enlightening to read "the other side" of the slave question. I am enjoying White's biography very much. Read and taught The Color Purple, and found it a wonderful tale. My students loved it too. This is a Must Read!
What a wonderful story about her birth, the cost to the midwife, and her primary school beginnings. Now I am curious to see how much it cost my parents for a hospital birth! I am pretty sure my midwife would not take $3 or even a pig! I love reading about how people are named...but Malsenior is a name?!?!?
Happy Reading Alice Journey,
Smiles
Now, do all you Color Purple readers see the relativity to Walker's own life - not completely literal of course - but used as a backdrop so to speak - I loved the Color Purple book and also the movie - Have not read anything else by Walker but think I'll have to check on more -
Just a comment about the downtrodden tenant farmers and shareholders of that time from another read - tho' I know the times were terrible for the "colored" (my era) of that time and am certainly not minimizing their plight from the beginnings of their being brought here - do not forget there were also many white poor and downtrodden tenant farmers and shareholders as well - I looked up a web site on google by putting in tenant farmers and found several good articles - always like to broaden my perspective - brings to mind "The Grapes of Wrath" by Steinbeck which is one of my favorite books - Hard times have been had by all -
Kudo's to Ms Walker, this must have been a hard story to tell.
One comment; regarding her description of murder of her grandmother Kate. I quote " he stuck the gun in her chest and it fired" as if the gun fired itself, the rejected lover fired the gun, a gun will not fire itself, it takes someone making a decision to pull the trigger and firing the gun.
To many blame weapons for consequences, that are made by an irresponsible person handling the weapon.
Thanks for the link. My family has lived in the same County in MS since 1834, although I didn't grow up in the area. I've heard plenty of stories about Tenant Farmers and Sharecroppers - my family and others - and I enjoyed learing more. With natural calamities, the Great Depression, and then WWII, my parent's generation moved to the larger cities in the area to find work, but as they got into their 50s and 60s they all returned to their home county to retire and live out their life.
Did anyone else find the organization of the narrative cumbersome and irritating? It felt like we were ping-ponging from topic to topic, from era to era, with only the flimsiest connections and transitions. I don't mind the occasional flashback, but this was like playing word associations. Where was the editor?
I'm enjoying the back and forth style of the writer which makes it easier to relate events in The Color Purple and life in the rurla south to events in Alice Walker's life.
There are plenty of bios that start with birth and move forward like a calendar. The patchwork quilt in this story makes it entertaining to me.
