Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrisonis an American novelist, editor, and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, and Beloved...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth18 February 1931
CityLorain, OH
CountryUnited States of America
sweet writing thinking
Writing is really a way of thinking--not just feeling but thinking about things that are disparate, unresolved, mysterious, problematic or just sweet.
communication may meaning-of-life
We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.
laughter tears serious
Laughter is more serious than tears.
writing giving said
One has to work very carefully with what is in between the words. What is not said. Which is measure, which is rhythm and so on. So, it is what you don't write that frequently gives what you do write its power.
insanity world sudden-change
So this is what insanity is. Not goofy behavior, but watching a sudden change in the world you used to know.
nature memories reality
All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.
loneliness lying color
She learned the intricacy of loneliness: the horror of color, the roar of soundlessness and the menace of familiar objects lying still.
art discipline imagination
In a way, her strangeness, her naiveté, her craving for the other half of her equation was the consequence of an idle imagination. Had she paints, or clay, or knew the discipline of the dance, or strings, had she anything to engage her tremendous curiosity and her gift for metaphor, she might have exchanged the restlessness and preoccupation with whim for an activity that provided her with all she yearned for. And like an artist with no art form, she became dangerous.
inspiration writing ifs
I can't explain inspiration. A writer is either compelled to write or not. And if I waited for inspiration I wouldn't really be a writer.
responsibility leader taking-responsibility
Somebody has to take responsibility for being a leader.
hurt beloved coming-back
Anything dead coming back to life hurts.
baby writing way
I write the way women have babies. You don't know it's going to be like that. If you did, there's no way you would go through with it.
real believe artist
I don't believe any real artists have ever been non-political. They may have been insensitive to this particular plight or insensitive to that, but they were political, because that's what an artist is-a politician.
writing people want
People say to write about what you know. I'm here to tell you, no one wants to read that, cos you don't know anything. So write about something you don't know. And don't be scared, ever.