Alice Walker's Metaphysics

Catapulted to fame in 1982 with the publication of her third novelthe Pulitzer Prizewinning The Color PurpleAlice Walker has become one of Americas most celebrated and divisive authors. With books such as Meridian and The Third Life of Grange Copeland, Walkers writing has frequently been cited for messages in support of civil rights and feminism. Above all, however, Walker is a spiritual seeker. Her works are dominated by the search for truth, wholeness, and the spirit that connects everyone and everything. In Alice Walkers Metaphysics: Literature of Spirit, Nagueyalti Warren examines the philosophy and worldview present in all of Walkers writing. Warren contends that Walker is a literary theologian, citing the transformative changes that take place in the authors fictional characters. Warren also points to Walkers bravery in approaching taboo subjects, her generosity of spirit, and her love for humanity, which are represented throughout her poems, novels, short stories, childrens books, and essays. This analysis is further supplemented by primary sources from Walkers unpublished material, including notes and scrapbooks. By exploring the spirituality evident throughout the authors work, this volume shows how Walker challenges readers to recognize and understand their responsibility to the earthand to one another. Providing a fresh, accessible look at one of the twentieth centurys most prolific women writers, Alice Walkers Metaphysics: Literature of Spirit will appeal to both academics and fans of the authors varied literature.