From the Vault: The Color Purple

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”

~Shug Avery, in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple

This week on From the Vault, we look at the work of Alice Walker, specifically her masterpiece The Color Purple. Regarded as one of the best works of American fiction from the last half of the 20th Century, The Color Purple won Alice Walker the Pulitzer Price in 1982, and is probably best known for its movie adaptation.

The Pacifica Radio Archives proudly features numerous Alice Walker recordings… in this episode of From the Vault we’ll hear Alice Walker discuss her interest in writing about people in transition as well as the success of The Color Purple over the years as it has evolved from book to film to Broadway. Also, Allee Willis, who wrote the music and lyrics for the broadway version of The Color Purple will talk about her experiences while working on the musical and with Alice Walker.