In the spirit of the #FergusonSyllabus, FGC has curated a list of resources relevant to The Color Purple which may deepen your understanding of the themes.
The Official Website of Alice Walker
Original Book Reviews
- Kirkus Reviews (1982) “A lovely, painful book: Walker’s finest work yet.”
- Rosenfeld, Megan (1982) “Profiles in Purple” The Washington Post
- Watkins, Mel (1982) “Some Letters Went to God” The New York Times
Books About The Color Purple and Alice Walker
- Funderburg, Lise, and Sanders, Scott (2023) Purple Rising: Celebrating 40 Years of the Magic, Power, and Artistry of The Color Purple
- Gates, Henry Louis, and Appiah, Kwame (1993) Alice Walker: Critical Perspectives Past And Present (Amistad Literary Series)
- Tillet, Salamishah (2021) In Search of The Color Purple: The Story of an American Masterpiece.
- Walker, Alice and Boyd, Valerie (2022) Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker, 1965–2000.
- White, Evelyn C. (2005) Alice Walker: A Life.
Essays About the Book
- Cushing, Dave (1988) “The Theological Experience of The Color Purple,” Draftings In: Vol. 3: No. 1, Article 4
- George, S. Fragrance Praisy and Rajan, Mekala (2021) “Emancipation and Progression through the Spiritual in Alice Walker’s ‘The Color Purple’” International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 6 No. 3
- Fortin, Pat (1988) “Celie and Hagar: Sisters in Time.” Draftings In: Vol. 3: No. 1, Article 7.
- Oladipo, Gloria (2018) “The Christianity I was taught didn’t align with my values. ‘The Color Purple’ helped me reimagine religion.” The Black Youth Project
- Scholl, Diane Gabrielsen (1991) “With Ears to Hear and Eyes to See: Alice Walker’s Parable The Color Purple.'” Christianity and Literature, Vol. 40, No. 3 (Spring 1991), pp. 255-266
- Thyreen, Jeannine (1999) “Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”: Redefining God and (Re)Claiming the Spirit Within Christianity and Literature,” Vol. 49, No. 1 (Autumn 1999), pp. 49-66
The Film
- Williams, Delores S. “Examining Two Shades of ‘Purple’.” (1986) Los Angeles Times
- Friendly, David T. “Academy Hits Racism Accusation” (1986) Los Angeles Times
- Trescott, Jacqueline “Passions Over ‘Purple'” (1986) The Washington Post
The Film Soundtrack
- Jones, Quincy. The Color Purple (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Qwest Records, 1986
- Jones, Quincy. The Color Purple – The Interview With Quincy Jones Qwest Records, 1986
The Musical
- Winfrey, Oprah Presents Various. The Color Purple (Original Broadway Cast Recording). Angel Records, 2006
- Various. The Color Purple The Musical (New Broadway Cast Recording) Broadway Records, 2021
The Movie Musical
- Culwell-Block, Logan (2023) “Upcoming The Color Purple Movie Musical Will Include Cut Song From the Stage Score” Playbill
- Lee, Ashley (2023) “A new tint of ‘The Color Purple’ comes to the screen, more tuneful and unbound” The LA Times
Criticism and Controversy
- Driscoll, Molly (2012) “Alice Walker refuses publication of ‘The Color Purple’ in Hebrew” The Christian Science Monitor
- Flanagan, Caitlin (2022) “What The New Yorker Didn’t Say About a Famous Writer’s Anti-Semitism” The Atlantic
- Goldberg, Elishiva (2018) “Alice Walker Is Not An Anti-Semite” The Daily Beast
- Rosenberg, Yair (2022) “Don’t Cancel Alice Walker. Hold Her Accountable.” The Atlantic
Trauma and Healing
- Bryant, Thema S, et al (2023) The Healing Guide: Inspired by The Color Purple, The American Psychological Association
- Other resources on trauma and healing, The American Psychological Association