Pulitzer-Winning Author Alice Walker Visits Coop

Seated at a table between a vase of lilies and her agent yesterday, Pulitzer-winning author Alice Walker signed books at the Harvard Coop and elaborated on her billing of her fourth novel as "A romance of 500,000 years."

A Wisdom Tale

"By romance I mean romance in the archaic sense, in that it is a wisdom tale," she said, describing Temple of My Familiar, her latest work. Dressed in a purple knit sweater and matching headband, Walker spoke of its themes of womanhood and spirituality.

In Temple, published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Walker's characters recount history using Latin and Native American folk models. The central figure, Lissie, describes turning points in humankind's history as observed through one half-million years of reincarnation.

"I wanted to connect with my ultimate ancestor, our common mother," Walker said, explaining the motive behind the work.

Describing Lissie, Walker compared the omniscience of the mother goddess to that of the spirit in Walker's Pulitzer-winning The Color Purple.

"Any goddess worth her salt encompasses everything," Walker said.

It has been seven years between novels for the author. "I needed all those years to get back to her," Walker said.

Fans of Walker were plentiful at the afternoon signing, waiting in a line three aisles long by the time Walker began the session.

According to Coop Book Director Daniel J. Delellis, the store expected to sell about 300 copies yesterday. When Walker finished, about that many people, most of them women, had waited in line for her signature holding the book in their hands.

Among them were numerous college students.

"We finished classes yesterday, and she's a great writer," said Christa Martin, of Boston University. "It's a wonderful way to spend the day."

Other Students came for more practical reasons. Aoibheann Sweeney '91 wanted to speak to an authority on The Color Purple, the topic of her sophomore tutorial research paper.

"I was going to ask her if there was any of it [semiotics] in it," she said.

Walker laughed and declined to answer.

Martin said her only question for the author was "how she does it."

Walker, who lives in northern California, flew to Boston to speak at the Boston Globe's book and author luncheon later this week.