Toni Morrison

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, Toni Morrison is a professor, editor, and novelist. Her most famous novels include Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, and Beloved.

Photo: Toni Morrison, Noble Foundation archive.

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About

Born Chloe Anthony Wofford in Lorain, Ohio, Morrison grew up in a black working-class family. She was the second of four children and loved reading as a child. She earned her B.A. in English from Howard University and an M.A. in English from Cornell University. Following her graduation, she taught at Texas Southern University, and then returned to Howard to teach English.

While teaching at Howard, Morrison joined a group of writers and began writing what would become her first novel The Bluest Eye, which wouldn’t be published until 1970. She also married Harold Morrison in 1958 and together they had two children. However, they divorced in 1964. Morrison moved to Syracuse, New York after the divorce and worked as an editor. She was instrumental in bringing black literature into the mainstream.

After the publication of The Bluest Eye, Morrison continued to write novels. Her 1973 novel Sula was nominated for the National Book Award. Song of Solomon (1977) became a selection for the Book-of-the-Month Club. Morrison’s 1987 novel Beloved won the American Book Award, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

–Christie Finn

Related Information

Songs

Sheet Music

Four Songs (André Previn)

Composer(s): André Previn

Song(s): 1. Mercy
2. Stones
3. Shelter
4. The Lacemaker

Voice Type: Soprano

Buy via Hal Leonard

Honey and Rue

Composer(s): André Previn

Song(s): 1. Mercy
2. Stones
3. Shelter
4. The Lacemaker

Buy via Hal Leonard

Spirits in the Well

Composer(s): Richard Danielpour

Voice Type: Soprano

Buy via Music Sales Classical

Sweet Talk

Composer(s): Richard Danielpour

Voice Type: Mezzo-Soprano

Buy via Music Sales Classical

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