Alice Walker Bio (Biography)
Real name:
Alice Malsenior Walker
Date of birth:
February 9. 1944
Place of birth:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA
Astrology Sign:
Aquarius
Tags:
Biography
When you think about "The Color Purple" you think about Whoopie Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover. You don't think of the woman who wrote the novel that changed the world and became a critically acclaimed movie that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards (but actually didn't win any of them, how sad). Alice Walker is not only famous her stunning human rights arguments in her work "The Color Purple" but she is also a passionate activist that looks to other global needs as well.
Although she has received criticism from whites and blacks alike-she was the first author of color to be openly criticized for her work by another author of color-Alice seems perfectly comfortable in her role as a world-changing activist and it looks like she'll be around for quite some time.
Born Alice Malsenior Walker on 9 February 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia, Alice is no stranger to hard knock life that comes with racism and civil rights violations. Having been born in the Deep South, Alice is well-acquainted with the struggles of racism and sexism that she uses as the general theme for most of her works.
Although Alice has written numerous works-15 fictional novels, 8 poetry collections and 10 non-fiction works-she is most well-known for her critically acclaimed and publicly criticized fictitious novel "The Color Purple." Alice published "The Color Purple" in 1982, to rave reviews (and criticisms), and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 for the same novel. Alice has also received the American Book Award for this work. "The Color Purple" has since been turned into an award-winning film (1985) and a Broadway musical (2005).
But "The Color Purple" is not Alice's only award-winning work. Her stark portrayal of racism, sexism and the human condition has been awarded literally dozens of times throughout her career. Alice has won the Lillian Smith Award-from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Rosenthal Award-from the National Institute of Awards and Letters, The Radcliffe Institute Fellowship, The Merrill Fellowship, The Guggenheim Fellowship, The Front Page Award for Best Magazine Criticism-from the Newswoman's Club of New York, and in 1986, she won the O.Henry Award for her short story "Kindred Spirits," which was published in Esquire magazine. She has even been credited as coining the term "Womanist."
Aside from being one of the world's most spectacular and controversial writers of her time, Alice is also an activist, fighting for Civil Rights-she was heavily involved in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Women's Rights and feminism, environmentalism, animals' rights and she has even campaigned against the Cuban embargo-which has been going on since the 1960s-and female genital mutilation-which most often occurs in African tribes.
Alice was once married to Mel Leventhal-they were the first legally married, interracial couple in Mississippi-but they are now divorced. They have one daughter, Rebecca Walker, an actress.
Although she has received criticism from whites and blacks alike-she was the first author of color to be openly criticized for her work by another author of color-Alice seems perfectly comfortable in her role as a world-changing activist and it looks like she'll be around for quite some time.
Born Alice Malsenior Walker on 9 February 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia, Alice is no stranger to hard knock life that comes with racism and civil rights violations. Having been born in the Deep South, Alice is well-acquainted with the struggles of racism and sexism that she uses as the general theme for most of her works.
Although Alice has written numerous works-15 fictional novels, 8 poetry collections and 10 non-fiction works-she is most well-known for her critically acclaimed and publicly criticized fictitious novel "The Color Purple." Alice published "The Color Purple" in 1982, to rave reviews (and criticisms), and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 for the same novel. Alice has also received the American Book Award for this work. "The Color Purple" has since been turned into an award-winning film (1985) and a Broadway musical (2005).
But "The Color Purple" is not Alice's only award-winning work. Her stark portrayal of racism, sexism and the human condition has been awarded literally dozens of times throughout her career. Alice has won the Lillian Smith Award-from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Rosenthal Award-from the National Institute of Awards and Letters, The Radcliffe Institute Fellowship, The Merrill Fellowship, The Guggenheim Fellowship, The Front Page Award for Best Magazine Criticism-from the Newswoman's Club of New York, and in 1986, she won the O.Henry Award for her short story "Kindred Spirits," which was published in Esquire magazine. She has even been credited as coining the term "Womanist."
Aside from being one of the world's most spectacular and controversial writers of her time, Alice is also an activist, fighting for Civil Rights-she was heavily involved in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Women's Rights and feminism, environmentalism, animals' rights and she has even campaigned against the Cuban embargo-which has been going on since the 1960s-and female genital mutilation-which most often occurs in African tribes.
Alice was once married to Mel Leventhal-they were the first legally married, interracial couple in Mississippi-but they are now divorced. They have one daughter, Rebecca Walker, an actress.
