Toni Morrison, giant of American letters, died August 5th. Who can forget the first time they read Beloved, for which she won a Pulitzer, The Song of Solomon, or The Bluest Eye? Her novels could be hard to read, but that was because they revealed some hard truths.
In 1993 Morrison won the Nobel Prize in Literature, opens a new window, the first African American woman to receive the award.
Upon her death, tributes to Morrison's impact as a writer are everywhere, from obituaries in The Washington Post, opens a new window, The Guardian, opens a new window, and even The Economis, opens a new windowt, to Morrison's fellow writers:
“... a giant of her times and ours .... That her strong voice will now be missing in this age of the renewed targeting of minorities in the United States and elsewhere is a tragedy for the rest of us.” - Margaret Atwood
"... she didn't pander, and she didn't temper the painful reality of Black American history ... She wrote about what was difficult and what was necessary." - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"She led and we followed, and she showed us the beauty of the language, and the power that was unleashed when that beauty was allied to a great heart and a ferocious mind." - Salman Rushdie
If you would like to revisit Morrison's novels, you can find them at the library.
Which Morrison novels had an impact on you? Share your favorites in the comments below!
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