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'Push' led toaward-winning'Precious'

BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON

BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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 was nominated for six Academy Awards, with Mo'Nique accepting the award for Best Supporting Actress.

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."

* 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."

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.