Alice Says It All…

A long time ago, when I wanted to be the world’s greatest writer of small, exquisitely beautiful short stories, there were three people I read with fear and trembling: John Cheever, James Alan McPherson, and Alice Walker. I never did get to meet John Cheever, and when it comes to McPherson, hope springs eternal! (If you do not know these writers, stop now; click here, shop, then return to this blog!)

I did get to meet Alice Walker while I was an undergraduate at Yale, when she spoke at an event sponsored by the African-American Studies department. She was so kind and encouraging to me that I made up my mind to write somehow, and though I haven’t yet figured out how to write those exquisitely beautiful short stories that make people want to cry, I have still lived a life filled with words, in part because of Alice. We’ve met and worked together periodically over the years, and she even wrote a first-class blurb for my memoir of several years ago, but we haven’t seen each other for some time.

Imagine my joy, then, to discover that she was an Obama supporter, and to read her most recent poetic and elegant words in support of him. They are addressed to all of us, but they will have special meaning to those of us who are women of color, and who find ourselves being sliced and diced by pundits and pollsters, and assaulted by white women demanding a blind and simplistic loyalty to gender that history cannot support. As usual, Alice, you get the job done in a way few of us can. Speak on, my sister!

3 Responses to “Alice Says It All…”

1. saras says:

   April 2, 2008 at 10:43 pm

   Phil and I read her article aloud together. Wow. I’m so glad to have stumbled on your blog! Hope you are well.

   Sara (Shumway)
2. revrose says:

   April 3, 2008 at 6:15 am

   Hey Sara–

   I’m great–how are you? We miss you!
3. patrice says:

   April 3, 2008 at 6:18 am

   Dr. Maya Angelou turns 80 in one month, another awe-inspiring writer and person. I’m a huge country music fan and, as it turns out, so is Ms. Angelou: she has just penned a song for Brooks & Dunn, in fact.

   Watch part of her interview on ABC News (not the part where she mentions loving country music): http://abcnews.go.com/abcnewsnow/gmanow# (you have to sit through a commercial first – just turn the volume down and walk away for 30 seconds).