TONI MORRISON - WORDS TO LIVE BY
Born as Chloe Ardelia Wofford, Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist famous for her rich use of language and unforgettable Black characters. From her first novel, “The Bluest Eye”, she continued penning great works such as “Sula”, “Song of Solomon”, and the critically-acclaimed “Beloved”. She also taught at Princeton University and held workshops for aspiring writers.
Growing up in Lorain, Ohio, Morrison’s parents instilled a deep sense of heritage and language in their daughter through songs and stories. Despite being surrounded by racism, her family held their heads high and showed her at a young age, that you can keep your integrity regardless of how people tried to put you down.
Morrison remains to this day as one of the most influential writers of our time. Many people look to her works and lectures for inspiration or empowerment. Learn from her wisdom and strength through these timeless Toni Morrison quotes collected just for you.
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
– Toni Morrison
“As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think.”
– Toni Morrison
“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
– Toni Morrison
“Could you really love somebody who was absolutely nobody without you? You really want somebody like that? Somebody who falls apart when you walk out the door? You don’t, do you?”
– Toni Morrison
“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.”
– Toni Morrison
Morrison walking with Angela Davis on March 28, 1974. Jill Krementz
“A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.”
– Toni Morrison
Nobel laureate Toni Morrison (center) accepting the applause of partygoers Susan Taylor, Rita Dove, Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou & others in 1994. Will Mcintyre/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images
“Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.”
– Toni Morrison
NY Times 1974
“Don’t ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it.”
– Toni Morrison
“If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it.”
– Toni Morrison
Also, check out: Toni Morrison “The Pieces I Am” Documentary, 2019. Trailer below:
This artful and intimate meditation on legendary storyteller Toni Morrison examines her life, her work and the powerful themes she has confronted throughout her literary career.
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