Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, June 20, 2012
Books No Color Purple for Israel
Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Jun 20, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Citing “apartheid and persecution of the Palestinian people," Alice Walker has denied a request from publisher Yediot Books to publish The Color Purple in Israel.
Here's Walker's full letter of explanation, in which she equates this situation to the 1980s, when the film version of The Color Purple was not released in South Africa until after apartheid fell.
This is not going to be controversial at all.
1
Yes, she is fighting injustice by withholding her book that has helped open so many readers' eyes to injustice.
2
@1: My thoughts exactly. How does withholding a work which speaks to the problem the artist objects to do anyone a damn bit of good? It seems like cutting of her nose to spite her own face.
3
It will be controversial Paul once the letter gets more publicity. I saw "The Color Purple" ages ago. A fine film/story but I didn't know Walker did that regardig South Africa. We'll see.
4
livin' up to your namesake, @1
here's what would happen if she let them print the book as normal: some folks would buy it, and then maybe they compare the book to israel/palestinians, but probably not.
if she refuses to let them print it: draws attention to the book, people get ahold of it anyway, and now they're reading it with an overt link between the book and the situation in israel/palestine
this can only help.
here's what would happen if she let them print the book as normal: some folks would buy it, and then maybe they compare the book to israel/palestinians, but probably not.
if she refuses to let them print it: draws attention to the book, people get ahold of it anyway, and now they're reading it with an overt link between the book and the situation in israel/palestine
this can only help.
6
Great and sensible move.
For those that say that the colour purple would help elleviate the apartheid in Israel - you DO know that the book and the film isn't exactly secrets, right? People in Israel know if nothing else the basic plot... and the postmodernist magic you guys imply has for some reason not worked... again.
Awwwwww... Can we try protest and economic pressure now please? Or do we have to do this BS debate every single time?
For those that say that the colour purple would help elleviate the apartheid in Israel - you DO know that the book and the film isn't exactly secrets, right? People in Israel know if nothing else the basic plot... and the postmodernist magic you guys imply has for some reason not worked... again.
Awwwwww... Can we try protest and economic pressure now please? Or do we have to do this BS debate every single time?
7
Nothin' opens the ol' squawk-box like the issue of Israel. Sharpen your fingers of indignation, internet!
8
Will she refuse to allow her books in countries that persecute gays, religious and/or ethnic minorities, and women such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia, Uganda, Niger, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, etc, etc, etc?
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