Toni Morrison | Brief Biography
Toni Morrison | Brief Biography
Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019) was an American novelist, essayist, editor, teacher, and professor emeritus at Princeton University. Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award in 1988 for her novel “Beloved.” She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, becoming the first African-American woman to receive the honor.
Early Life and Education:
Toni Morrison was born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio. Her parents were both of African-American descent and were descendants of former slaves. Morrison’s father, George Wofford, worked as a welder and her mother, Ramah Willis Wofford, was a homemaker. Morrison was the second of four children and grew up in a working-class family.
Morrison attended Lorain High School and was the first African-American valedictorian. She went on to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she studied English and classics. Morrison then earned a master’s degree in English from Cornell University.
Career:
After completing her education, Morrison worked as an editor for Random House for several years, where she was instrumental in bringing African-American literature to a wider audience. During this time, she also taught at several universities, including Texas Southern University and Howard University.
Morrison’s first novel, “The Bluest Eye,” was published in 1970. The novel tells the story of a young African-American girl named Pecola Breedlove who longs for blue eyes and is a commentary on issues of race, class, and beauty. “Sula” was published in 1973 and “Song of Solomon” was published in 1977. These novels further established Morrison as a prominent voice in African-American literature.
In 1987, Morrison published “Beloved,” which was inspired by the story of an escaped slave named Margaret Garner. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award in 1988 and was a critical and commercial success. It was later adapted into a film of the same name in 1998.
In 1993, Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first African-American woman to receive the honor. In her acceptance speech, Morrison spoke about the role of the writer in society and the importance of storytelling in shaping our understanding of the world.
Later Life and Legacy:
In the years following her Nobel Prize win, Morrison continued to write and publish novels, including “Paradise” (1997), “Love” (2003), and “A Mercy” (2008). She also continued to teach and deliver lectures at universities around the world.
Toni Morrison died on August 5, 2019, at the age of 88. Her legacy continues to inspire new generations of writers and readers and her work is widely recognized as some of the most important in African-American literature. 0 0 0.
Sources:
“Toni Morrison.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Toni-Morrison.
“Toni Morrison.” The Nobel Prize, Nobel Media AB.
“Toni Morrison.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 14 Mar. 2019, www.biography.com/writer/toni-Morrison. ***
N.B. The article originally belongs to the book entitled ‘Biographies of Writers Around the World‘ by Menonim Menonimus.
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