Alice Walker's F U to Israel

[Liam]

So. Alice Walker has forbidden the Hebrew translation and publication of her best-selling novel The Color Purple.

You can read her letter to her would-be Israeli publishers here.

While I don't agree with her position at all, I respect her honesty and determination to do what she thinks is right.

Stupid question though: What does she think the ban on the publication of her book(s) in Israel will accomplish politically? It's not like the Israelis will start dropping dead on the street after NOT reading The Color Purple, .

 

[Eric]

Maybe she's still subconsciously getting back at her ex. She was married to a Jewish lawyer from 1969 to 1977.

 

[Daniel del Real]

I know it's not important for Israelis not to read that novel, but she's making a solid statement about Israel's discriminatory politics in a way a writer can do it, with her voice and her letters. I agree with Liam that,right or not, she takes the time to defend the causes she is standing for.

 

[Liam]

Here's a recent article about the issue in The Guardian. Check out the users' comments section, in particular: the responses are very telling, I think, mostly either 100% for or against.

 

[Eric]

It's rather ironic that Walker's actively preventing one of her books being translated into a small language. Think of the unwitting censorship involved when the Brits & Yanks censor thousands of books from Europe by simply not bothering to have them translated.

 

[Eric]

The unthinking reaction of many so-called intellectuals in the world is: criticise Israel and people will love you. If you want to be popular as a writer in some circles, one of the most effective things you can do is mention the occupied territories, the settlements, the blockade of goods getting into the Gaza Strip, and so on. I cannot understand how people can have double standards. There have been hundreds of unaimed rockets fired at ordinary Israeli towns over the past few days from the Gaza Strip that Israel abandoned as a goodwill gesture, but no one among the sanctimonious intellectuals of righteousness protests. But if the Palestinians fake the killing of one little boy, something that happened in a well-publicised incident, this is regarded as monstrous murder by the fascist Israelis. In a region of the world where Arab is murdering Arab en masse (Syria) and one very large country seems to be totally unstable (Egypt), the European-style Jews of Israel are still the only nation that you could describe as a democracy in the Middle East. But there is an automatic litany, especially in the left-wing press, that insists that the Arabs are constantly being threatened by Israel. Everyone seems also to have forgotten that Iran isn't very cuddly nowadays, either. When will the eyes of "intellectuals" be opened?

 

[Liam]

When will the eyes of "intellectuals" be opened?

Probably never, because then they will cease to be, um, "intellectuals," .

 

[Hamlet]

It sounds like she should register her protest, then let it through; that way, she at least gets to make a point, admittedly, a small one perhaps when compared to the rest of the international clamour, but a point, and then let the Israeli people read her novel against this backdrop if they choose to do so.

 

[Liam]

Interesting new piece in The Atlantic about Alice Walker's anti-Semitism. Not sure if you have to be a subscriber to read it, ?‍

 

[Leseratte]

Interesting new piece in The Atlantic about Alice Walker's anti-Semitism. Not sure if you have to be a subscriber to read it, ?‍

I have the feeling that of late all ideologies of hate are rising their ugly heads at the same time.

 

[Liam]

I suppose it is horrible when anybody falls for this crap, but it's strange to see a decorated author and intellectual spewing forth this bile. Imagine if Alice Munro or Margaret Atwood started going around recommending Mein Kampf to people (in all seriousness!), ?‍

 

[Liam]

I agree about Flanagan's piece being a little light, but in her defense: her article is a "response" to the one published in The New Yorker, it reads almost like a letter-to-the-editor, but I think that was intentional.

 

[tiganeasca]

I had absolutely no idea...such a shock to read the vicious, vile, and frankly unbelievable stuff coming out of her mouth. Years ago, my wife wrote for the Los Angeles Times. She interviewed Walker back in 2003. We talked about Walker (and some other famous writers she interviewed as well), because I was curious, and she was impressed with Walker. Had a number of nice things to say about their time together. I just sent her this piece. Obviously, the subject didn't arise.

 

[Stevie B]

Really disturbing. I had no idea Alice Walker held such views, though it has been many years since she’s been in the literary limelight.

 

[Liam]

I could be mistaken, but I think she was one of the organizers of the flotilla that was supposed to land in Gaza a few years ago but they were promptly diverted by Israeli forces. Can't find the article now, but if memory serves, she was one of the key organizers.

You're right about her not being in the literary limelight though. I think she suffers from the so-called One Book curse: she just never managed to produce anything as good or as interesting as The Color Purple ever again ?‍

 

[Leseratte]

I could be mistaken, but I think she was one of the organizers of the flotilla that was supposed to land in Gaza a few years ago but they were promptly diverted by Israeli forces. Can't find the article now, but if memory serves, she was one of the key organizers.

You're right about her not being in the literary limelight though. I think she suffers from the so-called One Book curse: she just never managed to produce anything as good or as interesting as The Color Purple ever again ?‍

The curious thing about it is that her first husband was a Jew and her daughter is called Rebecca.

 

[beelzebubble]

I think Alice Walker may actually be nuts if she follows the writings of David Icke. Hoo Boy!

 

[beelzebubble]

Oh and she also encourages people to use Youtube as a legitimate source. I believe she has fallen down the rabbit hole and wants to take the rest of us with her.