Women’s History Month’s Feature: Toni Morrison, Renowned Essayist and Novelist

Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, Nobel Prize in Literature (1993), Pulitzer Prize (Beloved, 1987) and National Book Critics Circle Award (Song of Solomon, 1977) winner, Toni Morrison. Morrison was a literary icon having written plays, children’s books, essays, fiction and non-fiction books that have earned her several prestigious awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.

She worked as a book editor (first black female editor at Random House in New York City, late 1960s) and was a college professor at various universities. Her prolific style of storytelling explored the African-American (mostly women) within the context of several themes such as racism, sexism, freedom, abandonment, violence, etc. Her best-known novels include The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, Beloved and A Mercy.

In 2019, her hometown of Lorain, Ohio passed a resolution to designate February 18th, her birthday, as “Toni Morrison Day.” And most recently, on Friday, March 19, 2021, Prairie View A&M University announced it will establish a Toni Morrison Writing program in her honor and her former student, MacKenzie Scott. Although she is gone, she will definitely not be forgotten for the trailblazer that she was (1931 - 2019).

WRITING TIP: When writing coming of age novels like The Bluest Eye remember to do your research, develop a plot with turmoil, and create interesting characters that allow readers to see them evolve.

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