Tayari's Blog: Alice Walker Gives Her Papers to Emory

Posted by TayariJones on December 29, 2007 08:58 AM
Filed under Current Events

Just before the holiday break, Alice Walker's papers arrived at Emory Univeristy. As I understand it, a writer's papers are anything of her life that she has saved. This can be highschool journals, scrap books, drafts of novels, snapshots-- whatever evidence she chooses to hand over.

There was a point in my own life when I used to save all sorts of stuff. (My father once told me that W.E.B. Dubois started saving his papers at 12. I was about ten at the time and figured that this was a good a time as any to get started.) I am not sure what happened to all those carefully preserved slips of paper. I can't remember throwing them away, but my parents have moved twice since then and I am pretty sure that no one wanted to save my pop-sickle stick collection for posterity.

But on to Alice Walker. She says that she chose Emory for its location in the south, its relationship with the Dalai Lama, and because of all the other wonderful authors who have chosen to deposit thier papers in its care. (Langston Hughes!)

Not that anyone is asking for my papers, but I would imagine that it is pretty tough to decide where to store them. My impulse would be to put them at my alma mater, Spelman College. Afterall, this is where I became a writer. But at the same time, I don't know if Spelman would have the resources of a place like Emory to store and care for the papers. Also, a person would want her papers to be in a place that is frequented by scholars.

Anyway, I will be certainly going to Emory to check out Alice Walker's archives when they are open to the public. I have always been fascinated by her life. (More on that in another post.)

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There are 2 comments on "Alice Walker Gives Her Papers to Emory". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.

Comment #1, by AngelaJacksonBrown [TypeKey Profile Page]

Tayari,

I just wanted to say I loved both of your books. I also wanted to say that when the day comes for you to leave your papers somewhere, seriously consider your Alma Mater, Spelman. The reasons you give for not leaving them there are valid, but until notable writers like yourself start intrusting their work to schools like Spelman, the Spelmans of the world will never be able to compete with schools like Emory. I would venture to say that Spelman would go out of their way to make sure that your work is properly stored. Also, any researcher worthy of that title will go wherever your papers are stored if he or she is truly interested in doing true research about you and your work. Just a thought. Happy holidays.

December 29, 2007 12:16 PM

Comment #2, by Allie [TypeKey Profile Page]

This is where the beauty of technology comes in. Store your papers at Spelman but work with their computer science department to create electronic files that can be shared with the world.

December 31, 2007 10:14 AM

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