Alice Walker Blogs about The Help

A writer/friend of mine from Jackson, Mississippi, just posted a link on Facebook today to Alice Walker’s blog post about The Help—the book and the movie. Since I’m too busy to write (still packing to move on Monday, and recovering from a nasty 2-day stomach bug) I’m going to offer this link and encourage you to read this. It’s really really good.

“On The Help.”

Because I’m from Jackson and grew up during the 50s and 60s there, I’m often asked what I think about the book and the movie. I did a post about it here three years ago:

“Native Daughters Make Good.”

And another post discussing the use of dialect in regional fiction:

“Borrowing Tongues: The Perils of Writing Regional Dialect.”

(That's Octavia Spencer doing a reading with Stockett at Lemuria Books in Jackson in February, 2009.)

I spent a few minutes browsing Walker’s web site this morning and now I’m anxious to read her book of poetry, Hard Times Require Furious Dancing. The cover alone makes me want to read what’s inside!










It reminded me of this wonderful Nietzsche quote.

Reading Walker also reminded me that she will have an essay in the upcoming anthology, Circling Faith: Southern Women on Spirituality, coming this spring from the University of Alabama Press…. in which I will also have an essay, “Chiaroscuro: Shimmer and Shadow.” I’m humbled and honored to be in such company.

Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and I’ll try to respond soon…. although with the packing and moving it might be a few days.