Alice Walker is an internationally celebrated author, poet and activist whose books included novels, collections of short stories, children’s books, and volumes of essays and poetry. Her best known novel, The Color Purple, was adapted by Steven Spielberg into a major motion picture. In 1992 she spoke at the John Adams Institute about her novel Possessing the Secret of Joy, about the devastating effects of female genital mutilation. The evening was mostly devoted to Ms. Walker’s readings, followed by a Q&A with the audience that unfortunately did not survive the recording. But the sound of her voice, her reading and her work are still very powerful.This event took place on October 23, 1992 at the Aula of the UvA in Amsterdam.Visit our website for more info on events by the John Adams Institute or click here to become a member.Support the show

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related