This week, the literary world lost a national treasure. Toni Morrison, the American author who gave us Beloved and Song of Solomon, passed away at age 88.
I remember reading Beloved and Song of Solomon in high school, being blown away at the depth of character and the emotional and political scope of Morrison’s works; how she blended prose with poetry with Biblical references; how her characters were “real” and so incredibly complex; how reality blended so intricately with the mystic.
Despite all of the light reading I enjoy now, I cut my teeth of books like these and I am forever grateful to authors like Morrison who give us the opportunity to step into their worlds and expand our minds and our awareness. Morrison introduced me to an entirely different American experience and opened my eyes with her interpretation of what it meant to be Black in America. I will be forever grateful to her for these gifts of thought and awareness.
Until next time, friends.
-R
Hops & Lit 