In my junior year of college, Toni Morrison published her novel, Beloved, and gave a reading on campus. I joined hundreds of other students in a packed Wheeler Auditorium to listen to her talk about books and writing writing. She explained that she didn’t see the types of books she wanted to read on bookstore shelves so she decided to write them.  By the time I left Wheeler Auditorium, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. And though it took more than a decade for me to declare my intention publicly, and another decade for me to write my first novel, I carried Toni Morrison’s words with me. She was my guiding light, my inspiration.

If I can be even half the writer that Toni Morrison is; if my books can be half as grand, half as meaningful, I will be satisfied. In the meantime, I’m glad to know she continues to share her work and her vision with the world.

Click below to watch the video.

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