Today I'm going to call Alice Walker. She won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for her novel The Color Purple.

She was the first black woman to win that prize. She also won the National Book Award that year.

She's published many books, novels, poetry collections,

essay collections.

Her most recent book is a collection of poetry

called Taking the Arrow out of the heart.

I'm gonna give her a call. Oh, The Hello. Hi, is this Alice? Yes. Hi, this is Cheryl. Hi, this is Cheryl. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. It's so nice to talk to you and such an honor.

Where are you now?

Where am I?

I'm in Mendocino in California,

in the middle of virtually nowhere,

which is the perfect place to be. It's very sunny and warm today and it's just you

know it's just beautiful. I'm just so happy to be here. Have you been

socially isolating? Are you there alone or with somebody else?

Well I was in Mexico for most of the winter and I isolated pretty much there

until I came back north and yeah I've been you know I see a few people but we're you know more than arms length

apart we wear our masks and have been very cautious and careful and loving of each other

and respectful, you know. So, you know, we're all just learning how to, how to move together apart.

Together apart. What's the experience been for you? Does it feel scary or lonely or what is your

experience of what's happened over this past month or so in our lives?

Well, it is upsetting it has its terrifying aspects especially if you

watch a lot of media so I don't do a lot of that. If the virus is going to get me, it's just going to get me the way any other thing would while I'm busy doing something else you know and and that's pretty

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