The Eatonton-Putnam County Library (EPCL) unveiled on Oct. 3, its new Alice Walker Mini-Museum, featuring the life and works of Eatonton native Alice Walker. In 1983 Walker became the first African American woman ever to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, in recognition of her famous novel The Color Purple.
Walker grew up in Eatonton, where she attended Butler-Baker High School and graduated as valedictorian. She went on to complete 17 novels and compilations of short stories and 12 non-fiction works throughout her writing career. According to her website, Walker’s work has been translated into over two dozen languages, with more than 15 million copies of her books sold worldwide.
“This beautiful space is dedicated to Alice Walker,” said EPCL Manager Abrielle Boatfield. “We want to honor her impact on this county and her legacy.”
In 2017, EPCL established its Alice Walker Reading Center to promote reading and writing using some of Walker’s books. This project inspired an expansion that would lead to the creation of the mini museum with the help of grants and partnerships.
The museum was funded by a $15,000 Community Partnership Grant from the Georgia Public Library Service in collaboration with the Institute of Museum and Library Service. Locally, the Georgia Writers Museum assisted the library in completing the exhibit.
“Mrs. Alice Walker came to visit us in 2019 here and we had a great event. She inspired multiple youths to pursue a literary path,” said Azalea Regional Library System Executive Director Stacy Brown. “We have commemorated that day within the museum and have included several signed books from Mrs. Walker herself. They are all very special to us and we hope they can inspire even more people as she did that day.”
According to Boatfield and Brown, the mini-museum’s purpose is to serve as a source of inspiration for readers and writers alike.
It includes a bookshelf of Walker’s novels to read and an accompanying couch to settle down on. In addition, a writing desk with pictures of Walker and other inspirational materials on each corner awaits blooming writers to take a seat and let inspiration flow from ink to paper.
“We hope people become inspired by her photos and her books and fall in love with writing. That is something very important to her,” said Brown.
While Walker was not present for the unveiling, Brown pointed toward a display case next to the writing desk where a quote from the author is displayed, stating, “I just have to shake my head. You are all the sweetest! This is such a wonderful space. Just the right size and everything! Blessings to all of us working together to give our young ideas!”
According to Brown, this quote was provided to Walker’s local friend Larry Moore after she received news of the museum.
At the unveiling were citizens of Putnam County, Georgia Writers Museum members, staff from the Georgia Public Library Service and the Azalea Regional Library System, and members of Eatonton City Council. Later, the group gathered for refreshments and told stories among themselves about personal connections with Walker and how she inspired them.
“We (the City of Eatonton) are so proud of our partnership with the library. We are always happy to recognize any of our citizens,” said Eatonton Mayor John Reid. “I encourage everyone to come visit.”