Hello
Gentle Reader
Toni
Morrison is, and was one of the most powerful voices in American literature,
over the past Twentieth Century and early Twenty-First Century. Toni Morrison
was a giant of African-American literature. She is and was the heir to James
Baldwin, and the contemporary to Maya Angelou. Through her life—growing up and
in adulthood—she would experience, witness, and decry the rampant degradation, intolerance,
and racism, which was (and arguably is) the social reality of the United States
of America. Her parents, were equal victims of this same perspective, which
sought to alienate, degrade, and destroy them throughout their life—which they
resisted; and in return instilled in their children a strong sense of identity,
language, and heritage, by participating in oral traditions storytelling, of
African-American folk tales, ghost stories, and songs. When Morrison was two
years old, her parents missed the rent on their home, their landlord in a brazen
attack of either insanity or vitriol induced evil, set the home ablaze. Rather then
falling into despair over the loss of home and possessions, they laughed, and showcased
to their children one must maintain integrity in light of such situations. The
experiences of being a marginalized African-American, a second-class citizen in
the self-proclaimed ‘leader of the free world,’ made Toni Morrison the writer
she was: strong, striking, unabashed, eloquent, and engaged. Morrison was
unapologetic about her decision to write about African-Americans, and give them
a literary voice, which had often been denied. Her work could be heartfelt and
cruel, moving between these two dichotomous scales, provided an adequate
expression of the reality and the experiences of the African-Americans of that
generation. Before she was a writer, however, Toni Morrison, worked as an
editor, and it was there she fostered, encouraged, and grew the careers of many
famous African-American authors: Angela Davis, Gayl Jones, and the late Henry
Dumas. When Toni Morrison begun to write, her early work was not well noted,
and in fact was only noticed by post-secondary institutions and placed on ‘black
studies,’ reading lists first, unit publishers rediscovered her work and its
potential impact, before being admired, adored, and beloved by the reading
public. Her most famous novel and often deemed masterpiece: “Beloved,” reimagines
the unfortunate and tragic story of Margaret Garner, which envisions the dead child
returning as a ghost to haunt the mother, after murdering her to save her from
returning to a life of slavery. Instantly, Toni Morrison became a best-selling
novelist. “Beloved,” sat on the best-selling list for twenty-five weeks, and Morrisons
literary success was cemented into the American canon. In nineteen-ninety-three,
Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature, defeating other favoured American
writers: John Updike and Philip Roth—by far, Toni Morrison was the superior
writer.
Throughout
her writing career, Toni Morrison held a special and superior perspective with regards
to language. She viewed language as the ultimate human ability, one which could
reshape the world for better means. Her work never strayed from who she was, her
history, her identity, or her social perspectives. Her writing has influenced
many contemporary American writers (regardless of race or colour). Her teaching
years were formulative to her students, when she informed them to create
material, never write about themselves—always look outward.
Toni
Morrison will be missed, but her work will continue to beat, appeal, and be
adored by readers who are veteran, new, or yet to come.
Rest
in Peace, Toni Morrison.
Thank-you
For Reading Gentle Reader
Take
Care
And
As Always
Stay
Well Read
M.
Mary
Special
tribute has also been paid in The Paris Review, by dear friends Fran
Lebowtiz and Danez Smith.
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