May 19, 2013 34 min

Alice Walker

from Desert Island Discs: Archive 2011-2015 Hosted by BBC Radio 4

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Pulitzer Prize winning writer Alice Walker. Author, poet, feminist and activist, it was her novel The Color Purple that brought her worldwide attention and acclaim. The story of a poor black girl surviving in the deep American south, between the wars, it is a landmark work, disturbing and exhilarating in equal measure. If one subscribes to the idea that "art is a wound turned to light", then Alice Walker's early life proved crucial to her future creations. Shot and blinded in one eye by her brother's BB gun it was through the isolation of her injury that she began to write. She once described poetry as "medicine". She has also said, "I know the world's a mess, but there's so much that's gorgeous in it. I wish everybody could have what I have." Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

Ready to play

Alice Walker

0:00 34:30

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Share this episode

Similar podcasts

Epic: Silver Wing Realm EPIC is your new HQ for Realm’s exhilarating action and adventure stories, with new episodes dropping every Monday introduced by host Faith McQuinn. Embark on your greatest adventures yet, whether it’s crash landing on a desolate planet with only a cerebrally-embedded AI to guide you, or realizing that your latest game design is the only thing staving off total global annihilation. So unsheath those earbuds, clench that steering wheel, and buckle up because EPIC is about to take off. This month, we are featuring Silver Wing: On a desert planet in the far future, an old dragon hunter embarks on a desperate journey to save her estranged son. For centuries, the dragons have been sleeping. But in their rest, they provide a crucial energy source necessary to keep the planet Toon Flats habitable. Amphet Dahl is a diviner, gifted with the ability to sense the dragons’ dreams and memories and to the disappointment of her son, Afton, she uses this ability to This Tiny World This Tiny World Podcast Lighthouse keepers. Monks. Night guards. Astronauts. Island caretakers. What do these people all have in common? They live in tiny worlds, hidden from everyday life, where they have to figure out what makes them tick and how to keep themselves entertained. This Tiny World reports the captivating stories of people who live and work off the beaten path, in solitary conditions, or remote areas far from home. Join us as we explore their unique lives and professions.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Desert Island Discs: Archive 2011-2015?

This episode is 34 minutes long.

When was this Desert Island Discs: Archive 2011-2015 episode published?

This episode was published on May 19, 2013.

Can I download this Desert Island Discs: Archive 2011-2015 episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.