icon: toni morrison.
GT won’t give you the atypical info about Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison. Yes. She played a key role in bringing Black literary culture to the to mainstream. And yes. She had a brilliant mind.
But what I will share with you is that she was unhappily married, left her husband while she was pregnant with her second son, and wrote a short story called “The Bluest Eye” to help her deal with the sadness, loneliness and disappointment of a loveless marriage. She shared that story with a group of aspiring writers, put the story away, left her husband while she was pregnant with her second son, took a trip to Europe, and moved back in with her parents with two kids at the age of 36.
For most people it would have been over right there. But its how you get up after the fall that makes or breaks you. Chloe Anthony Wofford is now on her twelfth novel, holds a Princeton chair and has a literary society named in her honor where Morrison scholars from around the world study and examine her works as integral part of cherished American literature.
Life is not a straight line. Its how you get up.
Posted by gt on November 11, 2008
share
Ramona — November 11, 2008 @ 11:44 am
I am going to meet Toni Morrison in December!!! I am eagerly awaiting her new book (it should be on its way to me, as I ordered two weeks ago, and it was released today). Also, I loved, loved, loved Beloved, Song of Solomon and The Bluest Eye.
Thanks for adding that perspective, GT! I have more to say, but my laptop battery is about to die. I will be back!!!!
~Ramona
reply
TJ — November 11, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
It’s never too late to do something great!
reply
Simone — November 11, 2008 @ 1:01 pm
I was up @ the crack of dawn this morning and caught her on Charlie Rose discussing her current novel. I would love to spend time talking to her and Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain. She is a wonderful success story and once again, shows all of us what is possible.
reply
Alicia/InstantVintage — November 11, 2008 @ 1:58 pm
MAN! That is an amazing story. Wow.
reply
gt — November 11, 2008 @ 3:13 pm
I can’t wait to dig into her novel!
reply
jagdish — November 11, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
im was so eager about her 9th Novel ..as im doing my M.Phil (English) on Toni Morrison,
reply
Zaeath — November 11, 2008 @ 7:09 pm
Need to look up her novels and see what all the praise is about. I have heard of her though. Her story sounds very inspirational, thanks for enlightening me!
reply
gt — November 11, 2008 @ 7:20 pm
Anytime Zaeth!
reply