The novel push emphasizes the positive impact that education can have on an individual in american society. On the day sapphire meets me in manhattan, her novel push has just topped the new york times bestsellers list and she is so excited she. She does see her, in fact, on one occasion, when her mother delivers yet more bad news. Sapphire, author behind precious, to speak on campus. Push, now known as the book that inspired last years muchrenowned hit film precious, is the firstperson account of the teenage life of claireece precious jones, a harlem teenager who as of writing this account has given birth to two children, a boy and a girl, both products of her. How author created film character precious through her own. Was this something you had in mind before the movie version of precious story came out. The future for young people like precious seems so unremittingly bleak, the social inequities so entrenched, the cruelty that parents can inflict on their children so damaging and bewildering, that one is overwhelmed by the sheer hopelessness and awfulness of it all. Based on the novel push by sapphire may be the worstfeeling feelgood story ever committed to celluloid. Audience members listen to author sapphire read from her book push, which was the basis of the movie precious, during the university of michigan librarys 2010 mlk symposium in the rogel ballroom at the michigan union. Right now there is a disproportionate number of africanamerican children in foster care. Based on the novel push sapphire interview youtube.
She avoids looking at people, she hardly ever speaks, shes nearly illiterate. After precious is raped by her father, her mother, is angry not at. Interview with sapphire, the author of push public radio. In the final scene we witness precious striding out cheerfully and purposefully with her two children, her future uncertain but her dignity triumphant. Sapphire wrote the book, she says, after she left teaching to do a masters in creative writing at brooklyn college because at the time she thought. The first edition of this novel was published in july 27th 2015, and was written by jay mclean. In the kid penguin, sapphire tells the story of abdul jones, who is 9 when we meet him, on the day of his mothersprecioussfuneral. Sapphires first book became the oscarwinning film precious but. Push, her novel, won the bookofthemonth club stephen crane award for first fiction, the black caucus of the american library associations first novelist award, and, in great britain, the mind book of the year award. In new york citys harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction. Shuffled off to one negligent or abusive foster home after another, abdul eventually finds and. Amazing buzz continues to build for the movie precious based on the novel push by sapphire.
Precious has never experienced love in her life only abuse, physical and sexual from her parents. Novelist sapphire on precious and the evolution of her. A decade ago, the movie precious broke new boundaries in hollywood, winning critical acclaim and an oscar with a gritty, gutwrenching tale about an illiterate black teenager, pregnant and hivpositive after being raped by her father. Sapphire is the author of american dreams, a collection of poetry which was cited by publishers weekly as, one of the strongest debut collections of the nineties. Push is the 1996 debut novel of american author sapphire. Sapphire has 19 books on goodreads with 95366 ratings. Lofton took the name sapphire because of its onetime cultural association with the image of a belligerent black woman, and also because she said she could more easily picture that name on a book cover than her birth name. Author sapphire discusses the inspiration for her work and her initial. Jul, 2017 claireece precious jones, the obese, hivpositive teenage protagonist of the 1996 book push and the 2009 movie precious, is an irrepressible character. Nov 06, 2009 originally called push but recently renamed precious to coincide with the film, the book, by the writer known simply as sapphire, tells the story of a darkskinned, heavyset, illiterate african.
How author created film character precious through her own sexual. Fifteen years after the heralded publication of her first novel, push the basis for the 2009 film precious sapphire has written a new novel, the kid, which traces the. Push, her novel, won the book of the month club stephen crane award for first fiction, the black caucus of the american library associations first novelist award, and, in great britain, the mind book of the year award. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Based on the novel push by sapphire, follows precious gabourey sidibe a pregnant, 16yearold, overweight teen in 1987 harlem whos longing for a way out of her gritty, anguished life. Claireece precious jones is an obese, illiterate 16yearold girl who lives in harlem with her abusive mother mary. Sapphire, american author of fiction and poetry that features unsparing though. The book was published in multiple languages including english language, consists of 441 pages and is available in kindle edition format. Push by sapphire is the story of 16yearold claireece precious jones, who goes by the nickname precious. Sapphire, author behind precious, to speak on campus suny. Sapphire wrote the novel push renamed precious in a fractured ghetto patois that grew out of the authors experiences as a remedial reading teacher.
Abused by her mother, raped by her father, she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, fat. Precious states that she was held back the second time in school when she was twelve because she was pregnant with her fathers child. Novelist sapphire on precious and the evolution of her book. Thirteen years after its release, it was made into precious. Sapphire released another collection of poetry, black wings and blind angels, in 1999. Precious played by gabourey sidibe and her son abdul in the 2009. Not only did precious win both the grand jury prize and the audience award at the 2009 sundance film festival, but heavy hitters oprah and tyler perry are also championing the film, which hits theaters november 6. The protagonist, precious jones, is an illiterate sixteenyearold girl who lives in.
Sapphire interviewed about new book, the kid, and child. It was renamed precious to avoid confusion with the 2009 action film push. Sapphire, author of the novel push, talks about writing the book and the making of the film. It has been 15 years since you wrote about precious jones in push. Aug 19, 2011 the kid is the sequel to sapphire s 1996 novel push, about a girl called precious who is routinely sexually abused by both her mother and father. His mothers death begins abduls downward spiral, but precious gave him nine good years, and he never forgets that somebody, somewhere told him, youre gonna be something.
Nov 19, 2009 the movie precious looms as the cinematic event of the season, a film based on the 1996 novel push, by the poet and novelist sapphire. Author sapphire describes the joy and pain of push, and her. Often we discuss the movies fidelity to the novel and where it diverges, thinking about how. Precious based on the novel push by sapphire directed by lee daniels 2009, 110 min. Her youngest child, abdul, is the narrator a bright nineyearold boy. Sapphires first book became the oscarwinning film precious but, she says, her new novel is so dark that hollywood is unlikely to call bidisha thu 8 sep 2011 16. Her mother, defeated by life, takes it out on her daughter. Sapphire interviewed about new book, the kid, and child abuse.
Unfortunately i dont have a copy on hand, but until i get the the library next i highly encourage you to pick up this book, which is terribly sad but also weirdly captivating. Originally called push but recently renamed precious to coincide with the film, the book, by the writer known simply as sapphire, tells the story of a darkskinned, heavyset, illiterate african. Author interview sapphire, author of the kid bookpage. Though she loves math, she can barely read or write.
She is sexually molested by her father and despised by her mother played by comedian monique. Claireece precious jones endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. As cheryl clarke notes, sapphires 1994 book of poems, american dreams is often erroneously referred to as her first book. With gabourey sidibe, monique, paula patton, mariah carey. Sapphires first novel, push, is a regular selection for my introduction to womens studies classes. The kid is the sequel to sapphires 1996 novel push, about a girl called precious who is routinely sexually abused by both her mother and father. Push, now known as the book that inspired last years muchrenowned hit film precious, is the firstperson account of the teenage life of claireece precious jones, a harlem teenager who as of writing this account has given birth to two children, a boy and a girl, both products of her rape at the hands of her biological father. Her novel push, won the book of the month club stephen crane award for first fiction, the black caucus of the american library associations first novelist award, and in great britain, the mind book of the year award. Precious by sapphire paperback paperback january 1, 2009 by sapphire author 5. Inside her lives a great hurt, and also her child, conceived in a rape.
Author sapphire describes the joy and pain of push, and. The book on which the film was based, originally titled push, created a similar stir when it was released in 1996, launching a former tutor. Themes in the book push by sapphire by hammed sirleaf on prezi. After the success of her first book, sapphire buckled down and wrote an even better second book. Sapphire wrote the novel push renamed precious in a fractured. The book was published in 1996 by vintage publishing and has since sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It is a sequel in the sense it continues to look at the profound. The character claireece precious jones narrates her gripping, disturbing life story in the novel push. Sapphire wrote brutally in preciouss subgrammatical cadences zora neale hurston without the lyricism.
Interview with sapphire, the author of push public. Sapphires novel push is told from the perspective of 16yearold clarice precious jones, an obese, sexually and physically abused, hiv positive, pregnantbyincest teenager in harlem. So irrepressible that her will overrode that of her creator, the writer sapphire, who had planned for precious to give birth. Claireece precious jones, the obese, hivpositive teenage protagonist of the 1996 book push and the 2009 movie precious, is an irrepressible character. Her novel push, won the bookofthemonth club stephen crane award for first fiction, the black caucus of the american library associations first novelist award, and in great britain, the mind book of the year award. Walking down 125th street in manhattan last month, the author sapphire was stopped by a librarian who told her in an amazed tone how push. A little more brains in the script, a little more restraint in the direction, and precious. The kid is the sequel to sapphires 1996 novel push, about a girl called precious. Winner of the grand jury prize at the 2009 sundance film festival, precious. The movie precious looms as the cinematic event of the season, a film based on the 1996 novel push, by the poet and novelist sapphire. The protagonist, claireece precious jones gabourey gabby sidibe, is. Sapphire wrote a sortof sequel to this book about precious son, abdul, the product of incest.
Students enjoy reading the novel and watching, on their own, the film, precious directed by lee daniels, with its major stars. A huge crowd turned out to hear what the poet and author who goes only by the name sapphire had to say so big that by 10 minutes before her scheduled appearance at 2 p. Precious push movie tiein edition by sapphire, paperback. Jul 31, 2011 fifteen years after the heralded publication of her first novel, push the basis for the 2009 film precious sapphire has written a new novel, the kid, which traces the.
Sapphire, the pen name of new york citybased ramona loften, wrote the story and a followup novel, the kid by weaving together traumatic pieces of former students lives and her own horrific personal experiences. Jul 20, 2011 sapphire s novel push is told from the perspective of 16yearold clarice precious jones, an obese, sexually and physically abused, hiv positive, pregnantbyincest teenager in harlem. She wrote, performed and eventually published her poetry during the height of the slam poetry movement in new york. Sapphire releases graphic sequel to push more than a decade after the novel push was published, audiences can learn about the son of pushs heroine, precious. Her novel, push, was published in 1995 and was the story on which. This is a film that left me initially feeling profoundly. Her 1996 novel push, for which she was best known, tells the harrowing story of claireece jones, called precious, an obese, illiterate african american teenager living in harlem who, having been raped by her father, is both hivpositive and the mother of. Nov 20, 2009 sapphire wrote brutally in preciouss subgrammatical cadences zora neale hurston without the lyricism.
Hammed sirleaf im gonna break through or somebody gonna break through to me. Based on the novel push by sapphire, plans to visit the mount pleasant campus at 7 p. Ramona lofton was born in fort ord, california, one of four. Based on the novel push by sapphire could have been everything its been cracked up to be. Push novel push is the 1996 debut novel of american author sapphire. Oct 25, 2011 the kid isnt a book of joy or the resilience of the human spirit. Nov 09, 2009 194 videos play all precious 2009 full movie captured 2018 full movie mariah carey discusses acting in precious on the record duration. Though i argue neither did push, or the film precious.
In addition to her two bestselling novels, sapphire has written two books of poetry, american dreams and black wings and blind angels. This lesson will focus on the summary and important quotes from the novel push. Based on the novel push by sapphire, a film that won two academy awards and was directed by lee daniels. The kid is not a sequel in a traditional sense in that we dont enter into and follow up on the life of precious jones. Sep 08, 2011 sapphire s first book became the oscarwinning film precious but, she says, her new novel is so dark that hollywood is unlikely to call bidisha thu 8 sep 2011 16. Dec 05, 2009 precious based on the novel push by sapphire directed by lee daniels 2009, 110 min. Precious then reveals that she is pregnant again by her father. Jul 06, 2011 sapphire releases graphic sequel to push more than a decade after the novel push was published, audiences can learn about the son of pushs heroine, precious. But, like the novel, its not unpoetic, either, as it. She took the name sapphire because of its association at one time in american culture with the image of a belligerent black woman and because she could picture the name on a book cover more than her birth name. Ramona lofton born august 4, 1950, better known by her pen name sapphire, is an american. Told in preciouss crude and uneducated voice, it is in part testimonial, since sapphire is an incest survivor, albeit of middleclass background her interviews, her collection of poems american dreams, or her poem crooked man in loving in fear all evoke this. Sapphire, author of push, delivers to a standingroom.
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