Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison (born February 18, 1931) is one of the most prominent authors in world literature, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Through her writings and other works, Morrison was also instrumental in bringing recognition to the genre of African American literature. Several of her novels are included among the canon of American literature, including The Bluest Eye, Beloved (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction), and Song of Solomon. Her writings are known for dealing with epic themes, for Morrison's writing of dialogue, and for her detailed depictions of African Americans. Beloved was released in 1998 as the film Beloved starring Oprah Winfrey

Promoting black literature

After graduation, Morrison became an English instructor at Texas Southern University in Houston (from 1955-57) then returned to Howard to teach English. In 1964 she moved to Syracuse, New York, where she worked as a textbook editor. Eighteen months later she went to work as an editor at the New York City headquarters of Random House.

Related Topics:
Texas Southern University - Syracuse, New York - New York City - Random House

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As an editor Morrison played an important role in bringing African American literature into the mainstream. She edited books by such black authors as Toni Cade Bambara and Gayl Jones. She also taught English at two branches of the State University of New York. In 1984 she was appointed to an Albert Schweitzer chair at the University of New York at Albany. Currently, Morrison is Robert F Goheen Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University, a position she has held since 1989. Though based in the Creative Writing Program, Morrison does not teach regular writing workshops with students, a fact that has earned her some criticism. Rather, she has conceived and developed the prestigious Princeton Atelier, a program that brings together talented students with critically acclaimed, world-famous artists. Together the students and the artists produce works of art that are presented to the public after a semester of collaboration. In her position at Princeton, Morrison uses her insights to encourage not merely new and emerging writers, but artists who are constantly trying to develop new forms of art through interdisciplinary play and cooperation.

Related Topics:
African American literature - Toni Cade Bambara - State University of New York - University of New York

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