The Same River Twice

Alice Walker explores the struggles she’s had with art, motherhood, illness, and relationships, as well as reveals details from the controversy in the making of the movie based on her book, The Color Purple.

The Same River Twice is a collection of work based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize­­­–winning novel, The Color Purple. The collection includes essays, journal entries, and the screenplay she never got to use. It covers topics such as art, motherhood, illness, and relationships. She also reveals her work with Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Oprah Winfrey, and Whoopi Goldberg on the movie based on her book, and explores the controversy behind the movie surrounding Steven and Alice’s differing visions, and how it was received by critics. Behind the beautiful writing lies a vulnerability in self-doubt and worry in how the community will respond to her writing. The Same River Twice explores the complex experiences in her life and illuminates Walker as a woman, an artist, and healer.