Remembering Toni Morrison (an invitation)
Hi Everyone,
I wanted to make space today to remember Toni Morrison. She would’ve been 91 a couple of weeks ago.
What was the first book of hers you read? Which had the greatest impact on you? What left you speechless? What finally gave you words?
I remember reading Song of Solomon for two, fully immersive days before Toni Morrison gave the commencement speech at my college in 1979. When it was my turn to shake her hand, I froze in awe.
Eight years later I spent an entire weekend reading Beloved in the bathtub, continually reheating the water. Again, in awe of the brilliant, heartbreaking, unsparing beauty of her work.
Thank you, Toni Morrison, for always lighting the way …
What do you remember? Please feel free to post your comments below.
Abrazos,
Cristina
I meant to respond to this when you posted. My first exposure to Toni Morrison was listening to her reading the audiobook for "Jazz." My goodness! It changed what I wanted from my writing and everything that I thought I could expect. I went on to read "Sula," "Beloved," "Song of Solomon." I had the good fortune of hearing Toni speak at Rutgers-Newark a few years before she died. There were people lined up hours in advance. I just barely made it into the auditorium. If I remember correctly, they also hosted an overflow room with video. For me, her presence was as influential and inspiring as her writing.
I remember reading "The Bluest Eye" in the dead of winter in Nebraska and somehow feeling warm as her descriptions of space and place blossomed in my otherwise frozen mind. I would have forgotten that memory were it not for this post! Thank you, Cristina!