Remembering Margaret Walker: Louisville Kentucky reading group pays homage to a late, great author with televised book discussions

Pat Houser

Joyce Barnett is a devoted fan of author Margaret Walker. When this Louisville, Kentucky, poet takes center stage at a coffeehouse or open-mic events, her performance style is frequently likened to Walker's by people who know Walker's work. But when Barnett introduces Walker's name at literary discussions in other venues, she's of ten disappointed to learn that many people don't recognize the name of this late poet and author who is best known for her poem "For My People" (which won the Yale Award for Young Poets in 1952) and Jubilee, a 1965 novel that tells one woman's life story from slavery to freedom.

"People that really read know who Margaret Walker is, but a lot of other people don't," says Barnett. "When I mention her name, I often hear 'Oh yeah, she wrote The Color Purple'. And I say 'No, that's Alice.' Being a poet myself, this really bothered me."

Barnett had once toyed with the idea of joining a book club and decided le bring Margaret Walker's name back in this fashion. So she organized a small group of six local musicians and artists and limned The Margaret Walker Reading Club.

Researching the Author

To gather detailed information on Walker, who died in 1998, Barnett contacted the Margaret Walker National Research Center located at Jackson Stale University in Jackson, Mississippi, where Walker taught for many years. This cultural preservation and resource center houses significant archival records and personal papers, interprets the African American experience through various conferences, and funds the Literary Legacy Teaching Institute, a program that encourages educators to prepare lesson plans that introduce students in their district and surrounding counties to the writings of Margaret Walker and other Mississippi writers.

"The book club is a great time for socializing among members," says Barnett. "Our schedules are already so busy, but I'd like the group to visit the research center and take a tour sometime in the future."

Literary Discussion Showcase

While remembering Margaret Walker at their monthly meetings, book club members enjoy reading a diverse selection of general fiction and biographies of black women that includes Volunteer Slavery (Penguin, July 1994) by Jill Nelson; Wrapped in Rainbows (Scribner, December 2002) by Valerie Boyd; and The Life and Times of Madame C.J. Walker (Scribner, February 2001) by A'Lelia Bundles.

Additionally, the group hosts a local television show, which is also named The Margaret Walker Reading Club. The literary showcase, which airs each Monday night at 12:30 P.M. on Insight Communications Cable channel 98 in Louisville, Kentucky, enables viewers to tune in as Barnett examines the club's monthly book selections with fellow book group members Sheri Carbone, an actress, and Anna Patterson, a civil rights activist.

"We're having a ball with these televised discussions" says Barnett. "The women on the discussion panel encourage other people to read because they are smart and intelligent. Our discussions prove that there is so much adventure and discovery in reading."

Since forming the book club and producing the cable television show that reaches over 400,000 viewers, Barnett has helped to foster a newfound recognition for Margaret Walker. Fans who are curious to learn more about the author, the book club or the TV show constantly approach Barnett for information as she strolls down the street or shops in a neighborhood convenience store.

"I figured what better way to remember Margaret Walker than to name the club and the cable show after her," says Barnett. "I can't bring her name back all by myself, but this club is the least that I can do."

GROUP PROFILE

The Club: The Margaret Walker Reading Club

Location: Louisville, KY

Book Preferences: Biographies of black women, general fiction, mystery and romance titles

Number of Members: Six

When They Meet: Second Saturday of each month

Last Book Read: The Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou Bantam, June 1997 $13.00, ISBN 0-553-38009-5

Group Reaction: Extremely favorable

Next Book: Black Girl in Paris by Shay Youngblood Riverhead Books, January 2001 $12.00, ISBN 1-573-22851-6 How They Choose Books: All books are chosen by the group president and selected from Essence best-sellers list and Black Issues Book Review

Pat Houser is a contributing editor at BIBR. If you'd like to have your book club mentioned, e-mail her at pathouser@aol.com.

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