Hi, it's NPR's book at the day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. It's Black History Month, so we're

looking back at our archive of interviews and dusting off some gems. Today's is with Alice Walker,

the author of The Color Purple. The book is a seminal text in American literature, and as such,

it's tough and brutal, but honest and empathetic. Walker talked to NPR

back in 1982 after the book was published, and she said, for the women in the book,

men are not central, that this isn't a book about women enduring the brutal domination of

despicable men, although they do do that, but it's instead about them bonding with each other.

The idea was radical enough when she wrote the book that it was worth asking her if that

framing alienates non-women readers. I should say since the book came out, Walker's been accused

of supporting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. It's sad and disappointing, and I gotta be real with you,

we debated about bringing this one to you. But I think it's important to be brutal and honest

about our literature, our history, much like the color purple itself is. In the U.S., national security

news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.

On our new show, Sources and Methods, NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,

helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Reviewers say of author Alice Walker that she is exceptionally brave.

She takes on subjects that would scare off most writers.

Her latest novel, The Color Purple, explores the survival of black women

in a harsh world of rape, incest, and domination in the Deep South.

But Walker says that the color purple is more.

...