In Search of the Color Purple: The Story of an American Masterpiece

In Search of the Color Purple: The Story of an American Masterpiece
Salamishah Tillet
RRP:
NZ$ 24.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 19.99
Paperback
h210 x 140mm - 224pg
20 Jan 2022 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9781419735363
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Mixing cultural criticism, literary history, biography, and memoir in an exploration of Alice Walker' s critically acclaimed and controversial novel, The Color Purple Alice Walker made history in 1982 when she became the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, both for The Color Purple. Published in the Reagan Era amid a severe backlash to civil rights, the jazz age novel tells the story of an AfricanAmerican woman haunted by domestic and sexual violence. Prominent academic and activist Salamishah Tillet combines cultural criticism, history, and memoir to explore Walker' s epistolary novel, and shows how it has influenced and been informed by the zeitgeist of the time. The Color Purple received both praise and criticism upon publication, and the conversation it sparked around race and gender still continues today. It has been adapted for an Oscarnominated film and a hit Broadway musical. Through interviews with Walker, Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and others, as well as archival research, Tillet studies Walker' s life and the origins of her subjects, including violence, sexuality, gender, and politics. Reading The Color Purple at age 15 was a groundbreaking experience for Tillet. It continues to resonate with her-as a sexual violence survivor, as a teacher of the novel, and as an accomplished academic. Provocative and personal, In Search of the Color Purple is a bold work from an important public intellectual.
"One of my most cherished possessions is a copy of The Color Purple, signed by Alice Walker and dated October 22, 1991. In case of fire, I keep it near my family photos to make sure it is not left behind. In Search of The Color Purple delivers extraordinary insight into both the love and the struggle that made Ms. Walker' s exquisitely crafted novel a masterpiece. After reading Salamishah Tillet' s poignant book, neither readers nor writers will forget that it takes courage and audacity to write a novel that tells the reality of women' s lives. "--Anita Hill "The Color Purple is my all-time favorite film, hands down. The book is also one of my favorites, but watching the movie has particularly, over time, become a healing balm--almost a spiritual practice. Salamishah Tillet' s book is a beautiful tribute to The Color Purple, and a gift to those of us who are deeply connected to it. For others less tied to the stories of Celie, Shug, and Sofia, it is a history lesson and cautionary tale of what happens when a Black woman attempts to tell her truth publicly; something to be studied and learn from. This will be a necessary companion for all who engage with this story for years to come. "--Tarana Burke "Founder of the Me Too movement" "This book is a stunning act of devotion, a literary and personal excavation of one of the great novels of American literature, The Color Purple. Salamishah Tillet deepens and refreshes our understanding of the novel, movie, and Broadway play, reminds us of the fraught history of the novel' s publication, shows us how it has moved and transformed generations, and reveals how the controversial issues of sex, race, and gender are still as relevant and controversial today as they were then. Salamishah has allowed this extraordinary work of fiction to guide and heal her life, and her book does the same for us. "--Eve Ensler "author of The Vagina Monologues and The Apology" "We need reminders of the stories that have brought us over, the hymns and spirituals and freedom songs our people sang. The Color Purple is such a hymn. Alice Walker is its composer. And Salamishah Tillet, our conductor, lines this hymn for us, beautifully, so that we might all show up, text in hand, and sing its chorus, in tribute to the genius, care, and love of Alice Walker. "--Brittney Cooper "author of Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower"
Salamishah Tillet is a scholar, cultural critic, and activist. A professor at Rutgers UniversityNewark, she is a regular contributor to the New York Times. She lives in New Jersey.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781419735363
Published: 20 Jan 2022
Published In: United States
Imprint: Abrams Press
Publisher: Abrams
Format: Paperback
Height: 210mm
Width: 140mm
Pages: 224

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