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Anything We Love Can Be Saved: A Writer's Activism
In Anything We Love Can Be Saved , Alice Walker writes about her life as an activist, in a book rich in the belief that the world is saveable, if only we will act. Speaking from her heart on a wide range of topics--religion and the spirit, feminism and race, families and identity, politics and social change--Walker begins with a moving autobiographical essay in which she describes her own spiritual growth and roots in activism. She goes on to explore many important private and public being a daughter and raising one, dreadlocks, banned books, civil rights, and gender communication. She writes about Zora Neale Hurston and Salman Rushdie and offers advice to Bill Clinton. Here is a wise woman's thoughts as she interacts with the world today, and an important portrait of an activist writer's life.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
66 people are currently reading
2917 people want to read
About the author
Alice Walker
245 books7,289 followersNoted American writer Alice Walker won a Pulitzer Prize for her stance against racism and sexism in such novels as
The Color Purple
(1982).
People awarded this preeminent author of stories, essays, and poetry of the United States. In 1983, this first African woman for fiction also received the national book award. Her other books include The Third Life of Grange Copeland , Meridian , The Temple of My Familiar , and Possessing the Secret of Joy . In public life, Walker worked to address problems of injustice, inequality, and poverty as an activist, teacher, and public intellectual.
People awarded this preeminent author of stories, essays, and poetry of the United States. In 1983, this first African woman for fiction also received the national book award. Her other books include The Third Life of Grange Copeland , Meridian , The Temple of My Familiar , and Possessing the Secret of Joy . In public life, Walker worked to address problems of injustice, inequality, and poverty as an activist, teacher, and public intellectual.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
September 7, 2017
wonderfully spiritually refreshing. my heart/soul badly needed this book. the first half struck me as much stronger and more cohesive than the second half, which was mostly just speeches, letters, and very short occasional essays. but ahh, alice walker has such a beautiful soul.
August 5, 2008
This book is one of a very few that remind me to hope.
July 3, 2017
Amazing! Some essays took my breath away. I loved Sunnies and Shade, I think I'm going to buy my own copy of this book. Alice is so real and is not afraid to go theeerreee*! her way with words is mind blowing. I am so so inspired! I need to read The Colour Purple again
December 11, 2015
The essays in this book are breathtakingly beautiful. I love Alice Walker. I read this book on a road trip and several times, people wanted to know what I was reading because I had to just stop and stare. I write in books so its nice to just reread what I wrote about a particular passage or sentence. There's so much wisdom and the poetry in it is amazing. I always tell people that I don't get poetry but I get Alice Walker's poetry. The Autobiography of Malcolm X is probably my favorite book but this is certainly a very close second. You can read this book many times over and will still catch something you didn't see before. Definitely give this one a read.
December 21, 2020
Really enjoyable autobiography-induced collection of essays spanning a range of topics, from activism to relationships to daughters as mothers ( and vice versa), to political leadership ...
Instead of favorite passages, here are some favorite essays (length permits a quick read of them if interested):
Audre’s Voice
Home
Sunniness and Shade: Twenty-five Years with the Woman Who Made Me A Mother
How Long Shall They Torture Our Mothers?: The Trials of Winnie Mandela
Dreads
My Face To the Light: Thoughts About Christmas
Hugging Fidel
Instead of favorite passages, here are some favorite essays (length permits a quick read of them if interested):
Audre’s Voice
Home
Sunniness and Shade: Twenty-five Years with the Woman Who Made Me A Mother
How Long Shall They Torture Our Mothers?: The Trials of Winnie Mandela
Dreads
My Face To the Light: Thoughts About Christmas
Hugging Fidel
February 14, 2020
Reading Alice Walker’s words is much like having a cool drink of water when you’ve been in the hot sun for hours or sitting down in a comfortable seat after working on your feet all day. Every sentence makes the soul echo with a resounding yes. You find your inner self being nourished with every grain of truth contained in her hard-earned wisdom. What a light this book was, what a debt we owe to Alice Walker.
October 4, 2018
I credit Alice Walker with introducing me to feminism and raising my political conscious as a teenager. She really had a lasting impact on my life. It's interesting revisiting this collection as an adult. It's like visiting an old relative you've idolized all your life. You still love them deeply, but you also see flaws you didn't see in your younger years. This collection of essays is at its best when she's writing about nature, her love for her mother and for black people and culture. When she's writing about these things it's enough to inspire you to want to start some pagan-oriented church of black women.
My response is more complicated when it comes to her political writings. While her feminism is very black, it's also very western and it troubles me that she doesn't always leave space for the voices of the women directly impacted when she is advocating against female genital mutilation, for example, or expressing her concerns about sexism in Islam. But even when she's talking about issues closer to home--critiquing Bill Clinton's foreign policy or Essence magazine's misrepresentation of dreadlocks--there is something so idealistic and slightly patronizing in her tone that even when you absolutely agree with her you can imagine the recipient of her critique rolling their eyes in exasperation. But even as I complain about these things, I'm also smiling inside because what is wrong about being earnest, direct, and unapologetically yourself? To totally embrace your outsider status? And the reality is that she is mostly right in every assessment. So even with all my complicated feelings about this collection, when I finished it my thought was: I want to be more like Alice.
Besides, her own words caution against throwing out our heroes just because they aren't perfect:
"As oppressed people, we ask a lot from people who stand up for us; however, a complete absence of mistakes, errors of judgment, or emotional and spiritual breakdowns should never be required. We have a duty also, I believe, to the people who forfeit their own happiness to hold high the standard of our integrity and Being. It is, at the least, to give a thought to the context of their actions, to study them, to have the humility to place gently at their feet the stone we've come to throw."
My response is more complicated when it comes to her political writings. While her feminism is very black, it's also very western and it troubles me that she doesn't always leave space for the voices of the women directly impacted when she is advocating against female genital mutilation, for example, or expressing her concerns about sexism in Islam. But even when she's talking about issues closer to home--critiquing Bill Clinton's foreign policy or Essence magazine's misrepresentation of dreadlocks--there is something so idealistic and slightly patronizing in her tone that even when you absolutely agree with her you can imagine the recipient of her critique rolling their eyes in exasperation. But even as I complain about these things, I'm also smiling inside because what is wrong about being earnest, direct, and unapologetically yourself? To totally embrace your outsider status? And the reality is that she is mostly right in every assessment. So even with all my complicated feelings about this collection, when I finished it my thought was: I want to be more like Alice.
Besides, her own words caution against throwing out our heroes just because they aren't perfect:
"As oppressed people, we ask a lot from people who stand up for us; however, a complete absence of mistakes, errors of judgment, or emotional and spiritual breakdowns should never be required. We have a duty also, I believe, to the people who forfeit their own happiness to hold high the standard of our integrity and Being. It is, at the least, to give a thought to the context of their actions, to study them, to have the humility to place gently at their feet the stone we've come to throw."
January 4, 2008
I found many of the essays in this collection to be somewhat uninspiring: repetitive, and often lacking either in content or subtlety. However, the last essay, "My Mother's Blue Bowl," almost moved me to tears. And overall, the collection is an interesting glimpse into the movement for social justice in the U.S. from the civil rights movement onward, and I enjoyed reading Walker's personal perspective on her own involvement and on the movement as a whole.
I also enjoyed the pieces about her travels to Cuba and her encounters with Fidel Castro. This includes a letter written to President Bill Clinton around the time he tightened the embargo on Cuba. Walker raises good questions here: Castro may be no saint, our relationship with Cuba may not be so simple, but what right have we to continue punishing an entire nation simply because its leaders took away property from U.S. fruit companies decades ago? Especially in a post-Cold War era, what are we doing causing the impoverishment of children in another country simply because of disagreements with the political philosophy of its leaders? (One should also note the irony here: allegedly we are punishing Cuba for not capitulating to 'free' capitalism, yet we are doing so precisely by further control and restriction of a market.) The embargo has been labeled a violation of international law by the United Nations since the 1980s (not that such violations seem to bother the U.S. too much). Isn't it high time we lifted it?
I also enjoyed the pieces about her travels to Cuba and her encounters with Fidel Castro. This includes a letter written to President Bill Clinton around the time he tightened the embargo on Cuba. Walker raises good questions here: Castro may be no saint, our relationship with Cuba may not be so simple, but what right have we to continue punishing an entire nation simply because its leaders took away property from U.S. fruit companies decades ago? Especially in a post-Cold War era, what are we doing causing the impoverishment of children in another country simply because of disagreements with the political philosophy of its leaders? (One should also note the irony here: allegedly we are punishing Cuba for not capitulating to 'free' capitalism, yet we are doing so precisely by further control and restriction of a market.) The embargo has been labeled a violation of international law by the United Nations since the 1980s (not that such violations seem to bother the U.S. too much). Isn't it high time we lifted it?
March 26, 2010
Walker's prose is poetic, but lacking substantive arguments in this political book. Her heart is in the right place, but even though I agreed with her I found myself answering her broad-sweeping statements with, "Yeah, but what about...?" I crave a more cerebral debate when addressing issues of feminism, civil rights, and human rights in nonfiction but I'll take inspiration from her novels any day.
While less political, Amy Tan's compendium of essays (THE OPPOSITE OF FATE) is much better at sewing her life experiences into meaningful philosophy and witty observation. It has no explicit political agenda and is therefore all the less pompous.
While less political, Amy Tan's compendium of essays (THE OPPOSITE OF FATE) is much better at sewing her life experiences into meaningful philosophy and witty observation. It has no explicit political agenda and is therefore all the less pompous.
Read
July 9, 2020Coming off the end of my service year and into a new city where I'm trying to learn about and explore the community, regain my bearings, and focus in on meaningful local work and movements, Anything We Love Can Be Saved was exactly the refreshment I needed. I had picked it up for 99 cents at St. Vinny's some time ago, but didn't feel ready to pick it up until I was in a more reflective place. It is a collection of essays, speeches, and letters to influential people and organizations that covers themes of activism, ancestry, religion, Black womanhood, and the American South. The book came out over 20 years ago, so there were some moments that I had to acknowledge the gaps in my historical knowledge of the time (for example, she included a letter she wrote to President Bill Clinton declining an invitation to the White House and explaining her opposition to the Cuba embargo), in addition to those already existing in my limited cultural perspective (her letter to Essence magazine defending dreadlocks as a hairstyle).
My favorite passage came at the end, one that I felt summed up the book perfectly. Walker reflects on a blue bowl, a gift from her mother, who, near the end of her life, gave away nearly all of her already few possessions. Stored in the blue bowl were childhood memories, the spirit of her mother, and the knowledge of her mother's generosity and lack of attachment to possessions, especially when they would bring others joy.
How the book relates to my experience is in the title, as well as explored by Walker's words in the pages. With many themes, the string that ties it all together is that activism is worthwhile and that it matters. I think that is much of the same spirit that carried us through the tougher times of our work and the days that nothing seemed to go right. It was a deep care for the communities that we were involved in and the validity of the work we were doing that helped us along.
I would strongly recommend this book to all CTEPs- anyone who is wrapping up their service year, or rejuvenating before starting up another one. Reading it was some very necessary reminding and refocusing time for me, and I'm sure it would be for any of us. See if your library has a copy!
My favorite passage came at the end, one that I felt summed up the book perfectly. Walker reflects on a blue bowl, a gift from her mother, who, near the end of her life, gave away nearly all of her already few possessions. Stored in the blue bowl were childhood memories, the spirit of her mother, and the knowledge of her mother's generosity and lack of attachment to possessions, especially when they would bring others joy.
How the book relates to my experience is in the title, as well as explored by Walker's words in the pages. With many themes, the string that ties it all together is that activism is worthwhile and that it matters. I think that is much of the same spirit that carried us through the tougher times of our work and the days that nothing seemed to go right. It was a deep care for the communities that we were involved in and the validity of the work we were doing that helped us along.
I would strongly recommend this book to all CTEPs- anyone who is wrapping up their service year, or rejuvenating before starting up another one. Reading it was some very necessary reminding and refocusing time for me, and I'm sure it would be for any of us. See if your library has a copy!
July 21, 2018
Apesar de já ter lido poemas da Alice Walker e conhece-la a partir de muitas intelectuais negras que debatem o mulherismo, essa foi a primeira vez que li um livro dela, ainda que seja uma coletânea.
Meu pai comprou esse livro uns 16 anos atrás, quando ele passou um tempo nos EUA pra fazer o mestrado dele. Em maio, eu terminei o meu próprio mestrado e ele me presenteou com o livro, que eu nunca havia visto até então. Ele disse que não lembrava exatamente o que ela escreveu, mas que na época, pensou em me dar quando eu fosse maior.
É incrível como esse livro chegou na minha vida no momento exato. Me ajudou a refletir sobre muitas coisas que andam me tirando da minha zona de conforto, me deu esperança, como uma jovem negra LGBT ativista (e) acadêmica, de que pensar e fazer de outra forma é possível.
O espírito quase ingênuo, mas ao mesmo tempo ciente do potencial revolucionário do ser humano de Alice Walker foi a coisa que mais me impressionou. Comentando com meu namorado sobre esse livro, eu disse "deve ser cansativo viver no mundo como ela vive", mas, no fundo, eu sinto uma pitadinha de inveja.
Esse livro me fez finalmente achar as palavras que faltavam pra formular minhas perguntas sobre espiritualidade, amor, ser mãe (e) acadêmica (e) ativista, sobre feminismo e racismo - inclusive dentro do movimento feminista e antirracista. Alice me ensinou sobre meu cabelo, sobre o regime comunista em Cuba e, especialmente, sobre a Mutilação Genital Feminina.
Muitas coisas que ela trata nesse livro, mudaram desde sua publicação nos anos 1990 até agora, outras ainda caminham a passos vagarosos (no dia que eu terminei de ler o livro, o governo da Nigéria finalmente tornou ilegal a prática de MGF no país), mas o senso de esperança e justiça que Alice Walker injetou em mim, espero carregar por um bom tempo.
Meu pai comprou esse livro uns 16 anos atrás, quando ele passou um tempo nos EUA pra fazer o mestrado dele. Em maio, eu terminei o meu próprio mestrado e ele me presenteou com o livro, que eu nunca havia visto até então. Ele disse que não lembrava exatamente o que ela escreveu, mas que na época, pensou em me dar quando eu fosse maior.
É incrível como esse livro chegou na minha vida no momento exato. Me ajudou a refletir sobre muitas coisas que andam me tirando da minha zona de conforto, me deu esperança, como uma jovem negra LGBT ativista (e) acadêmica, de que pensar e fazer de outra forma é possível.
O espírito quase ingênuo, mas ao mesmo tempo ciente do potencial revolucionário do ser humano de Alice Walker foi a coisa que mais me impressionou. Comentando com meu namorado sobre esse livro, eu disse "deve ser cansativo viver no mundo como ela vive", mas, no fundo, eu sinto uma pitadinha de inveja.
Esse livro me fez finalmente achar as palavras que faltavam pra formular minhas perguntas sobre espiritualidade, amor, ser mãe (e) acadêmica (e) ativista, sobre feminismo e racismo - inclusive dentro do movimento feminista e antirracista. Alice me ensinou sobre meu cabelo, sobre o regime comunista em Cuba e, especialmente, sobre a Mutilação Genital Feminina.
Muitas coisas que ela trata nesse livro, mudaram desde sua publicação nos anos 1990 até agora, outras ainda caminham a passos vagarosos (no dia que eu terminei de ler o livro, o governo da Nigéria finalmente tornou ilegal a prática de MGF no país), mas o senso de esperança e justiça que Alice Walker injetou em mim, espero carregar por um bom tempo.
September 3, 2018
This is the first book by Walker I've read (closely followed by The Color Purple). I was surprised (for some reason) by how "easy" these mostly-brief essays were to read. In one sense, anyway: they're simple in terms of their language, but not their ideas. Walker is completely unafraid to say clearly and radically what she believes the world needs to hear. Her great power in these essays lies in:
a) her considerable experiential knowledge in the realms of activism, advocacy, and (needless to say) being a Black woman (and wife, mother, and friend) in a white supremacist society
b) her ability to share her emotions, doubts, weakness, alongside her confidence and strength, in a way that makes me feel like we're having tea together and she's just giving me the straight-up.
Thank you, Alice Walker, for sharing your determination and talent and belief in a better world.
a) her considerable experiential knowledge in the realms of activism, advocacy, and (needless to say) being a Black woman (and wife, mother, and friend) in a white supremacist society
b) her ability to share her emotions, doubts, weakness, alongside her confidence and strength, in a way that makes me feel like we're having tea together and she's just giving me the straight-up.
Thank you, Alice Walker, for sharing your determination and talent and belief in a better world.
November 26, 2018
I'd say I liked 6 or 8 essays a lot, found a handful more entertaining but a bit dated, and felt like many letters and short pieces were filler to make the collection seem more hefty. My favorites were "The Only Reason You Want to Go to Heaven," an essay about her evolving ideas on god and spirituality; the title piece about the enduring appeal of Zora Neale Hurston; "Sunniness and Shade" about Walker's complicated relationship with her daughter, Rebecca; her essay about the Million Man March; and a few essays where she talks about the writing of "The Temple of My Familiar" and "Possessing the Secret of Joy." My final verdict: Uneven but worth reading.
November 21, 2017
I wanted to like this so badly as I adore Walker's prose, but this essay collection fell short for me. Many letters and stories were quite compelling, but that was a rarity. As well, one essay in particular seems Islamophobic while also including a defense of Farrakhan, who is a known homophobe and anti-Semite. This was very surprising to me, as Walker is such a champion for social justice. Overall, this is a good read and many of her stories feed my soul. However, I'm sure there's better collections of her work out there.
February 10, 2019
Alice is the one writer that I have never completed because I feel like it is important to revisit her. She makes me proud to be a woman, proud to be a compassionate, educated person with convictions and proud to believe in the synchronicity of my artistic path. She is the one woman that I agree with regularly who also makes me look deeper into myself and keep searching and growing in my own name. I'm lucky to have her.
April 3, 2025
Since reading The Colour Purple in 2020, I have learned I am obsessed with Walker’s writing. Seemingly simple and from the heart, she’ll drop profound sentences that stay with you for a lifetime. This collection of letters, speeches, and anecdotes touch on topics like politics, race, social change, and feminism, and is still relevant today. Only docking a star as it’s hard to find a “flow” and connect the stories together.
June 21, 2022
Alice Walker is truly an American treasure and she deserves all the honors she has received over the years. Learning more about her personally while also learning about her perspective on many things in the world was very interesting. This book is very inspirational, as one would expect of Miss Walker.
November 17, 2022
Alice Walker, known primarily for The Color Purple, presents readers with a spiritual autobiography of separate essays expressing her deep personal feelings and opinions on wide ranging issues. Heartfelt and engaging her thoughts reflect her commitment to important causes and beliefs while interweaving personal details of her life.
January 10, 2026
These essays knit together a memoir and values statement from Alice Walker. While her novels bring characters of strong sense of self and fighting oppressive circumstance, this book hits hard on Walker's values. Whether or not you agree with all of her beliefs, her ability to state those principles with precision and passion is undeniable.
June 3, 2017
This is a collection of letters, speeches and essays reflecting Alice Walker's life as an activist. Some are absolutely beautiful, while others seem naïve or simplistic. But she is an incredible writer and admirable for her courage. I agree with her on almost everything.
April 5, 2020
Essentially a collection of speeches that Alice Walker gave on political causes that spoke to her. I love everything that Alice Walker writes but gave it a four because its "just" a collection of speeches.
November 25, 2019
Medicine
March 25, 2020
This book lifted my soul! I am grateful to have read these essays during this particular time in my life.
October 9, 2021
A hopeful and spiritual book
December 4, 2024
A refreshing reminder of all the goodness that there is in the world. Walker's writing is beautiful and so is her perspective on life
July 5, 2025
Alice Walker the activist at her poignant best
July 14, 2011
I greatly admire Walker's activism to end female genital mutilation, so I was looking forward to learning how she remains hopeful despite the awful things she's seen. But I was disappointed in this essay collection. The memoir pieces about her childhood in rural Georgia under the racist Jim Crow regime were lyrical, moving, and challenging to me as a white Christian. I am glad I finished this book because it made me more aware of the everyday abuses that African-Americans continue to suffer, and the role that my racial group and religion have played in this oppression. (I know, "duh", but hey, that is what white privilege means - I have been able to avoid thinking about uncomfortable things.)
However, the collection felt padded with other pieces that were lightweight or dated. In my opinion, she has a tendency to make universal principles out of her own preferences and experiences.
Most crucially, I didn't feel I could rely on her political analysis because she seemed to romanticize and oversimplify controversial figures like Winnie Mandela, Fidel Castro, and Louis Farrakhan. I almost gave up when she compared Castro to the Dalai Lama. One is a nonviolent spiritual leader, the other allowed the Soviet dictatorship to point nukes at America. She comes across as so heartbroken about America's human rights abuses that she needs to believe in revolutionary heroes, and maybe suspends some critical judgment.
I do now feel compelled to learn more about Cuba because her take on it was the polar opposite of everything I hear in mainstream media, but I can't take her reports at face value either.
However, the collection felt padded with other pieces that were lightweight or dated. In my opinion, she has a tendency to make universal principles out of her own preferences and experiences.
Most crucially, I didn't feel I could rely on her political analysis because she seemed to romanticize and oversimplify controversial figures like Winnie Mandela, Fidel Castro, and Louis Farrakhan. I almost gave up when she compared Castro to the Dalai Lama. One is a nonviolent spiritual leader, the other allowed the Soviet dictatorship to point nukes at America. She comes across as so heartbroken about America's human rights abuses that she needs to believe in revolutionary heroes, and maybe suspends some critical judgment.
I do now feel compelled to learn more about Cuba because her take on it was the polar opposite of everything I hear in mainstream media, but I can't take her reports at face value either.
July 28, 2014
3.5. I LOVE Alice Walker's writing. No matter what the topic, whether it's actual poetry or an article about dreadlocks, her writing is always lyrical and, well, pretty. Her tone, at times in this book, is a little bit too new-agey and ridiculous. But she reminds me a lot of my mom with her totem animals and whatnot, and I love it all the same. Not so fond of the way she trashes Marilyn Monroe in "Giving the Party".. I understand the sentiments, the reactionary trouncing against a beauty/sex symbol against whom all women, of colour or otherwise, are held up to, and made to feel unworthy. I totally get it. But she really lays into this poor woman she never knew. I get the anger, but it's too easy to dismiss her as a vacant vessel valuable only as a white man's sex fantasty. She was a woman of flesh, blood, and tears the same as any, and i feel for the poor woman, who was so abjected by what she was reduced to that she ultimately killed herself.
other than that, I thought it was brilliant. Her article about hugging Fidel Castro was hilarious, and her bit about her work on the documentary "warrior marks" was touching, and her article about religion was spot on.
other than that, I thought it was brilliant. Her article about hugging Fidel Castro was hilarious, and her bit about her work on the documentary "warrior marks" was touching, and her article about religion was spot on.
July 13, 2015
This is a collection of essays, letters, and speeches by Alice Walker. I particularly enjoyed the ones about Winnie Mandela near the beginning of the book, and Fidel Castro near the end. You get a variety of different things with this book. There's even a little bit of her poetry here (some previously published poems, I believe). At it's core, I think the book is about love and passion. She is obviously a passionate person with strong convictions, and does not merely just talk the talk, but walks the walk actively advocating and fighting for causes in which she believes. She takes you on a few of her journeys in the book, introducing you to, or showing you another side of people you have probably heard of before and some that you haven't. She also takes you to a various places around the world. I recommend for those who like other works by Walker. I also recommend for those interested in social activism, as she has done a great deal of it. I also recommend for those who generally care about people and their well-being across the globe, especially women, and especially children.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews