Interviews

Bell Hooks Overcomes Adversity 

Bell was born in the Deep South. She knew at an early age that she wanted to become a writer, however, everyone in her life discouraged her. Bell was told that she was a girl and that meant she was supposed to find a husband and make children. Being a homemaker was to be her only priority. Growing up, Bell was taught to be afraid of people… “don’t’ trust them, they’re out to get you” her mother would say. So, growing up she only had one friend, and even that relationship was hard to nurture. Her family did not welcome her companion into their home, and whenever Bell would stay late at the girl’s house she would be subsequently punished upon her late arrival home.

Bell watched her father make her mother into his servant. He would work all day and come home to a clean home and prepared meal, for that was what he expected. She watched her mother work hard all day doing chores and yet her father would never say thank you. Whenever her father had a hard day at work he would take out all his anger on his wife – yell at her, shake her up, jerk her around. Bell decided that marriage was a privilege for men, and she wanted no part in it.

Through her strife, Bell decided to venture into the library; it was her sanctuary, her refuge. She would read for hours. She initially read romantic books but was disillusioned with the fiction, so she began reading poetry and, being inspired by the words, began to write poetry herself. Again, it was difficult for her to pursue her passions because her family tried to dilute her wants.

When she was a teenager her family tried to set her up with a boyfriend, yet they couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to be with a boy, so they called her “funny.” More and more she retracted from her family’s matchmaking sentiments, she was pushed closer to her female friends. Bell intentionally made herself unattractive. She noticed that the boys at her school liked the voluptuous girls so she didn’t eat much. Her wiry frame kept the boys away. Even when she was in the library the librarians gave her flack for not being out looking for a husband.

She read Austin, Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Faulkner which lead to the inevitable conclusion that there was more to the world than what the deep south had to offer her. She traveled/lived/learned about life through books; that’s how she felt comfortable with wanting to become a writer, wanting to become a single woman.

Along with becoming a strong feminist writer, Bell Hooks has held positions as Professor of African and African-American Studies and English at Yale University, Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and American Literature at Oberlin College, and as Distinguished Lecturer of English Literature at the City College of New York.