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Author-poet
Sapphire knew that her novel "Push" was
"something special" when she started writing
it in 1993 as part of her master's project at
Brooklyn College
. But its success as an award-winning book and
Oscar-nominated movie has been a major surprise.
She
thought it was special "because I was a poet
writing a novel, and it was different from the standard,
mainstream novel," she says, referring to her
experimentation with language and dialect.
The book
went on to win several awards and last year was made
into the acclaimed — and controversial — movie
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by
Sapphire." The film has been nominated for six
Academy Awards.
The book
and movie tell the story of Precious, an overweight
16-year-old who is pregnant with her father's child and
lives in Harlem with her abusive mother.
Sapphire,
who is originally from
San Francisco
and now lives in
Brooklyn
, says her goal in writing "Push" was to
present a multilayered story that would convey what she
saw around her while she was working and teaching in the
heart of Harlem.
"I
didn't want the things I was seeing in Harlem to
disappear into people's consciousness," she says.
"I wanted them to know what I had seen, though some
of it was depressing. But I was uplifted because I knew
I could give to the world and change the world."
The book
encompasses literacy and language first and foremost,
Sapphire says, but it also looks at poverty and welfare;
HIV transmission among heterosexuals; colorism, the idea
among African-Americans that light skin is preferred
over dark skin; standards of beauty; and how abusive
behavior can come from anyone, not just men.
She felt
she couldn't let girls like Precious "continue to
get swept under the rug and thrown in the trash."
The stark
realism of the world Sapphire portrayed in
"Push" led many to believe it was a true
story. Some even take it a step further, assuming that
Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe portrayed her
own life story.
Sapphire
has problems with that.
"Precious
is not a real person," she says. "She's a
character in a novel. And Gabby is on a mission to show
people she is not Precious. She's sophisticated,
articulate, educated and comes from an excellent family,
and this girl is not in any way Precious.
"I
must make these clarifications, though you don't have to
when you look at white films. When you look at
'Monster,' you know
Charlize Theron
isn't a roadside hooker."
Sapphire
knew she'd tapped into something big after the book's
publication when a Harlem girl walked up to her and told
her "Push" was the best book she'd ever read.
"There's
literature that's hard to deal with, and literature
that's soft and fuzzy," she says. "I never
purported to write something to make everyone happy or
that was easy to read. I wanted to write something to
make people think and feel."
Fans will
be happy to hear that she is planning her first novel
since "Push" for next year. It will look at
the displacement of African-American children,
especially boys, in the foster care and adoption system.
"People
will go to foreign countries before they adopt an
American black male," Sapphire says of her new
book.
She hints
that even more is on the way.
"I
never stopped writing," Sapphire says. "I have
quite a bit of material that will be coming out, now
that I'm in a market that's on my side."
———
SAPPHIRE
IN HER OWN WORDS
On what
she thought of the movie "Precious: Based on the
Novel Push by Sapphire":
"I
really love the movie, and I was really pleased with all
the performances. (Director
Lee Daniels
) told me when he was filming it's not going to be the
book, but he was going to stay true to the spirit of the
book. There were a lot of changes that anyone who read
the book would recognize. But five minutes into the
movie I was totally engrossed in the life of Precious
and not thinking about the book."
On what
she would have done differently if she'd directed the
movie:
"If
I directed, I would have done everything differently
because I'm not him. But I'm glad his imagination got to
run free with the movie just like mine got to run free
with the novel. Ultimately, I have a lot of faith in
Lee's talent. ... I know he cut out scenes so the movie
wouldn't be so long."
On
copyright laws not allowing the movie to use the name
"Push" (an action movie was released with the
same title early last year):
"'Push'
didn't even have 15 minutes (in the theater). But they
had the legal right to the title and contacted our camp
and said you can't use that. It happened because the
other camp made the legal maneuvers to get it done and
we didn't. I wasn't happy with that."
On
Oprah Winfrey
and
Tyler Perry
stepping in to executive produce the film:
"I
was totally amazed. It was beyond my comprehension.
They're the reason 'Precious' didn't end up showing for
just one week at the downtown art house cinema."
On a
recent column in
The New York Times
by poet-essayist
Ishmael Reed
critical of the movie (to which she sent in an official
response):
"I
think he's mentally ill. He's lost it. It's like he's
departed from being a creative artist to being a basher.
... He's a forgotten man, eclipsed by women ascending to
new heights and getting prizes. Instead of applauding
them, he goes on a rampage."
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