Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship

by Dana A. Williams

An insightful exploration that unveils the lesser-known dimensions of this legendary writer and her legacy, revealing the cultural icon’s profound impact as a visionary editor who helped define an important period in American publishing and literature.

A multifaceted genius, Toni Morrison transcended her role as an author, helping to shape an important period in American publishing and literature as an editor at one of the nation’s most prestigious publishing houses. While Toni Morrison's literary achievements are widely celebrated, her editorial work is little known. Drawing on extensive research and firsthand accounts, this comprehensive study discusses Morrison's remarkable journey from her early days at Random House to her emergence as one of its most important editors. During her tenure in editorial, Morrison refashioned the literary landscape, working with important authors, including Toni Cade Bambara, Leon Forrest, and Lucille Clifton, and empowering cultural icons such as Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali to tell their stories on their own terms.

Toni Morrison herself requested that Dana Williams be the one to tell this story, even giving her the book’s title. From the manuscripts she molded, the authors she nurtured, and the readers she inspired, Toni at Random demonstrates how Toni Morrison has influenced American culture beyond the individual titles or authors she published. Morrison’s contribution as an editor transformed the broader literary landscape and deepened the cultural conversation. With unparalleled insight and sensitivity, Toni at Random charts this editorial odyssey.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Writing, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Literature, Autobiography

Audible Audio

Published June 17, 2025

About the author

Dana A. Williams is associate professor of African American literature at Howard University.

Reviews

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I thought it was important for people to be in the streets. But that couldn't last. You needed a record. It would be my job to publish the voices, the books, the ideas of African Americans. And that would last"- Toni Morrison (Williams 25).

After finishing Ms. Williams' gripping and beautifully rendered accounts of the late great Toni Morrison as an editor for Random House, I thought of my own experiences of why Professor Morrison is the most important writer I have ever read.

I thought of why her work has stayed with me in my reading and teaching life.

it is her work ethic and belief that the written word is critical in maintaining the stories of a community that is by large, still oppressed by a racially fraught America.

However, this reflection is about Williams' accounts of Morrison's working with some of literature and pop culture's most talented figures.

Williams writes, "Morrison saw her job as documenting stories that might go otherwise untold. There would need to be a record" (30). What a record Morrison has left behind!

Williams briefly writes a biographical sketch of the woman who would become one of America's most controversial writers, and for some a national treasure. After dabbling with theater and acting during her undergraduate years at Howard University, and finishing her Masters at Cornell- Toni Morrison set off to edit at Random House in the late 1960's.

Morrison edited such famed authors in the likes of Toni Cade Bambara, Gayl Jones, Lucille Clifton, Boris Bitters, Wesley Brown, Nettie James, and Barbara Chase Riboud.

She worked with iconic figures such as Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali in writing memoirs that have become classics, and staples of African American Literature and Studies.

Prof. Morrison edited the iconic "The Black Book" and "The Cotton Club" which describes black joy after the Black Arts Movement.

What is marvelous to me as as she nurtured the talents of some of these iconic artists, Morrison would go on to write four novels that would become staples of American Literature, period. Her output during the 1970s-early 1980s included "The Bluest Eye", "Sula", "Song of Solomon" and "Tar Baby".

In my own reading life, "Song of Solomon" and "The Bluest Eye" changed my life. Fiercely authentic stories about the hero's journey, and the exploration of internalized racism, I immediately saw kinship to those characters looking for love and searching for themselves. And what language!

The marvelous and meticulous care she took in her craft, I have seen first hand in some of the iconic books she's edited.

Take for example Toni Cade Bambara's opus, "Those Bones Are Not My Child's" based on the Atlanta Serial Murders and the eternal short story collection "Gorilla, My Love”.

They are two polar opposites of each other: without Morrison's guidance, I am sure the language of those works wouldn't have lived as long in my brain in the years after I have read them.

The humor and verve found in a story like "Raymond's Run" and the horror and grim realities of how law enforcement does not care about the abduction and murders towards young black kids of the 1970s are terrifying examples of how Morrison used her editorial skills with precision.

She wanted the language to bleed through the page, and make these books lifelike and vivid. They certainly have been for me.

Angela Y. Davis' memoir is another iconic book I've read edited by Professor Morrison. She is not a saint, but a human being caught up on the threshold of social justice, and a determination for the social justice of black bodies.

Williams writes that Morrison "understood that the role of the editor was not simply to curate content, but to reflect and challenge the world around them...she pushed truths by embracing voices" (Williams 321).

I have managed to read most of Morrison's oeuvre, and I am often at awe in how she wrote, and the care she gave to each book she wrote.

I am glad that Dana A. Williams has managed to write her own account of how Morrison gave authors the same care she gave her own writing.

[Traci Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the chance to get to know Toni Morrison as an editor in this book. The format is a little rinse and repeat, instead of giving a narrative we get examples of the Morrison's process with a handful of her authors/books. There was never really a reflection point for what TM meant as an editor to the industry at large. There are some really good chapters where there is drama or unique insight. Williams does not paint TM with only a rosey brush, she shows some darker shades which I really appreciated. There is a full picture of her at work. Overall the book was a little redundant (it read as an academic text in ways with the repeated points made) but also interesting.

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a literature enthusiast or just simply bookish, you will enjoy this seductive look at Toni Morrison essentially at work as an editor. Her take no prisoners approach to editing and her no tea for the fever path of dealing with authors. I love how Dana Williams allows the reader to sit next to Toni Morrison from acquiring a book to celebrating its publication. We are front row to tensions, disagreements over jacket covers and copy, intimate exchanges and compelling authors to deliver promised manuscripts. It’s a delightful tour of the publishing process, with the inimitable Toni Morrison as capable, competent captain! Kudos to Dana A. Williams for a job well done.

[Amy Biggart · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s a little too industry focused for me to love my reading experience of this (it has a tendency toward dry and detailed back and forths about projects) — but technically well crafted? But don’t let that dissuade you if you’re interested in reading this. Its more for the editing and publishing nerd than it is for the casual Toni Morrison fan

[chantel nouseforaname · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a perfect read. It scratched an itch in my mind that I didn't even know that I had.

Toni at Random is for the folks who love learning about process, and what it takes to create progress and change. It's also a book for the gworls, the Toni Morrison lovers, the ones who are fascinated by Black women building connection and community, and learning how the greats, the folks Shonda Rhymes refers to as the FOD's (first, only, different) survived and thrived at their complex and nuanced jobs. It's for those who want to see how changemakers like Ms. Morrison created and nurtured bonds, and cut ties with people who gave them way too much grief for the work that they were producing. It's a book that captures the working life of a very serious and prolific woman in her element.

I loved the segments on the friendships built and sustained; the challenges that she went through and the folks she had to clap back at when they were getting too crazy. I respect Toni Morrison's commitment to excellence and expansiveness in types of books published: fiction, non-fiction, retrospectives, a cookbook, etc. I also respect how some of the misunderstandings between her and peers/the writers that she editing were dealt with. Dealing with folks with big personalities seemed to be a given for Ms. Morrison, but the parts where misogyny/misogynoir rang loud, were still always deeply unsettling. Folks were big mad at some of the professional moves she had to make, but Ms. Toni Morrison loved her community, and you didn't have to squint to see that, she was deeply committed to her work. She focused on bringing out the best in her communities, friends, and foes alike.

Dana A. Williams did some serious work on this book and it is well appreciated. I love Acknowledgements sections because you get to see how deep the well runs for the people who lifted up the writer when they were hard at work. The acknowledgements were inspiring, and another layer to the story of how this text came to be. You can see how impactful Ms. Morrison was on Dana A. Williams, in addition to the guidance that she provided to her. I love when people open the door or lift up the curtain and let you see the effort that went into a life, into creation, into the birth of various texts. Naturally, my read list has exploded.

[Kyle C · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of Beloved, Toni Morrison's fifth novel but her first after she left her job as an editor, the narrator describes how the title character Beloved will linger on in the photograph of every black person, an indelible and haunting memory, not simply of an infant girl brutally murdered in a shed but of every enslaved African ferried over the Atlantic, of every fugitive who sought freedom beyond the Mason-Dixon line, of every black child left unloved. Dana Williams' biography has given new meaning to this final image of Morrison's incredible book. Toni Morrison herself, as a novelist but equally importantly as an editor, made herself one of the de facto archivists of black life in the United States. In her role at Random House, she continually sought to find and promote black authors. She guided the book industry through the civil rights era and the black power movement, helping to champion and elevate black voices and perspectives for the moment. She sought to make marginalized writers not simply heard but profitable and she expanded the reading market, proving that experimental, technical, polarizing, difficult, and long, books could have popular appeal and civic value. In that light, Beloved is not the novel of an author retiring from her day job; it is the culmination of her work as a curator of black history and literature.

Anyone who reads knows that Toni Morrison is the preeminent bard of American literature but this book shows a different side to the author—the editor, the boss. With her substantial research, Dana Williams exhaustively documents the enormous influence Toni Morrison had on 20th-century American publications. Morrison's influence extended over multiple genres: she organized anthologies on African literature; she promoted the textbooks of emerging black scholars on art and science, on a vast array of topics from ethnomusicology to the history of railways; she counseled academics on how to turn their textbooks into trade-books; she secured the publishing rights for new novelists as well as forgotten dead ones; she provided detailed line-edits to cookbooks; she offered feedback on photoessays; she helped organize short-story collections; she shepherded poetry books into publication, even though Random generally shied away from these less commercial genres. Her work as an editor was all-encompassing and went beyond the office: she shared her home with Angela Davis and encouraged her to combine academic theory with autobiographical reflections. She discovered and mentored talented writers (Gayl Jones for one) and she also hounded famous celebrities (such as Muhammed Ali) and their ghostwriters as they failed to meet deadlines. As a junior editor, she was in conversation with Chinua Achebe and James Baldwin. With aplomb, poise, deft wit, and sometimes stern directness, she dealt with hot-headed authors, editors and publishers who repeatedly underestimated her instincts—not just as an editor but as a marketer with a deep insight into the wants of the reading public, both black and white. 'Editor' is an insufficient word to describe her work. She was a polymath and a custodian of black intellectual thought.

This is a terrific book, and I particularly loved the moments when I could read Toni Morrison's letters to authors. Her vision as an editor was broad. She thought at large about the market, about readers, about academic theory, and most of all, about black voices and history, but she was also a writer who got into the weeds of words, nitpicking a weak adjective or a narrative inconsistency or an overwritten passage. She could be pedantic and personable in equal measure, and disarmingly funny. There is a lot of astounding material in this book. The life of Gayl Jones seems bizarre and it was fascinating to read Morrison's almost parental care for this shy, and easily manipulated, author. I had no idea how close Morrison was with Angela Davis and I loved how defensive Morrison became about Davis' work, brushing aside other editors' concerns that Angela Davis was too political and didn't share anything about her personal life, "personal life" being a chauvinistic euphemism for "romantic life" (In one letter to a colleague, she said brusquely, "I must emphasize that there are no two Angela Davises. One political, one human. They are one and the same. She does not tuck her politics away. Never. Not in her dreams. Not in the bathtub. Not on the toilet. Not anywhere.") Her letters as an editor are often profoundly candid. When an editor was incensed to be left out of the acknowledgments of a book and accused Morrison of using the book to advance her own career, Morrison immediately apologized and corrected the record—but I love the personal note at the end, "Such a funny word. I don't have a career, you know. I just work."

"I just work" is a beautifully self-effacing understatement. Toni Morrison clearly dedicated so much of her life to cultivating black writers and curating a literary tradition. Her work and her waking life, her writing and her editing, all served the same purpose—to summon ghosts, to resurrect the voices that have been suppressed, whether by slavery or colonization, or even by the prejudices of the publishing industry—and this book is a monumental record of her labor. If, however, I have any criticism of the book, it would just be that I wish it gave more insight into Toni Morrison's professional life. We see the range of her projects and the varied difficulties she had charming authors, negotiating contracts, giving corrections, but I would have liked to have had some insight into her working relationships with other editors and what it was like to be at Random.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A testament to Toni Morrison and her editorial genius and the genius of editing as shown through Toni Morrison. This book never gets into the weeds of editorship: reading hundreds of manuscripts for the gems and then cutting those into the beautifully faceted gems that make editorship a jeweler's metaphor, you know what I'm saying. The mechanics of editing is mostly alluded to or hovering in the background.

Toni at Random profiles some of Morrison's best authors: Black fiction, Black non-fiction, African literary anthology, and an anthology of train literature. My TBR was expanded, although on some level, my Half Price Books soul is throwing some of these basement-smelling, 70s looking anthologies into the recycling bin based on cover art, but that was the style at the time, and it's not books' fault that they become old until they get republished as "edited by Toni Morrison." Some of Morrison's authors became good friends, some would have been if circumstances were different, and some were divas who didn't understand marketing. Morrison nurtured some important works onto the bookshelves of what used to be and still freaking is a white male-dominated publishing industry. This was a great audio listen.

[Jaclyn]

This was so interesting and is great reading for publishing nerds like me. The research offers incredible detail into Morrison’s editorship and the role she played and impact she had on black American writing. I loved seeing her editorial work at a structural and line level as well as her involvement in design and marketing. The ways she fought for and championed her authors but also chastised them is delightful. She did not tolerate nonsense. The book showed a surprising amount of miscommunication between Morrison and some of her authors. Some of her sarcastic letters are glorious. I loved seeing the way she navigated the many institutions that stood in her way. That she did all this with two young children at home and while writing her first three novels is mind blowing. This is the portrait of a true old school publisher and I loved it though I imagine the level of detail will be too much for a general audience. Also, no acquisitions meetings!

[Mizuki Giffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I absolutely adored this! Being a big fan of Toni Morrison the writer, this taught me so much about Toni Morrison the editor. Every chapter dives into a different author she worked with or book she helped publish, including how the collaboration came to be, the edits Toni offered, any points of contention, the decisions made about the work, and its reception after publication. All this gave me much more insight into publishing in general, and the labour that goes into a final publication we hold in our hands. Toni Morrison was instrumental in publishing books written for black audiences by black authors through a mainstream publisher, and her greatness as an editor is only overshadowed by her greatness as a writer.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I thought this was a memoir.
Instead, it is a collection, a biography, of Toni’s acquisitions as an editor at Penguin Random House.

If you are seeking editing advice, this is not that. This is more about Toni dealing with the people behind the writing rather than the actual work.

You can tell how passionate Toni was with the works she picked and curated and promoted.

This was informative of the black author movement as well as how the role of editors has changed over the years. Especially with a bigger emphasis on marketing and publicity and people being assigned to that.

This doesn’t touch much on Toni’s on writing except for mentions to give you an idea of the timeline.

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[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve ever wondered what Toni Morrison was cooking up behind the scenes before hitting “publish,” this book serves up the perfect literary dish. Dana A. Williams digs deep into Morrison’s journey as a senior editor at Random House, where she quietly shifted the publishing world’s path—championing voices like Angela Davis, Muhammad Ali, and Toni Cade Bambara.

What makes it shine (and occasionally stumble)? Williams is impeccably thorough—rich interviews, correspondence, behind-the-desk shenanigans included—which makes it feel like a lovingly crafted academic dossier that sometimes veers into repetition. Toni hits the same issues repeatedly while trying to get Black authors published.

So whether you're an aspiring editor, a Toni Morrison fan curious about her behind-the-scenes brilliance, or just love well-researched literary deep dives—this one’s a satisfying read.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read as someone who works in publishing. Loved getting a sense of her taste and her shrewd strategy in getting books through acquisitions and in positioning them in the market. Also loved her no-nonsense responses to people who tried to come at her sideways.

From an industry perspective, I would’ve loved to learn more about if she had mentorship in-house—today, the industry is so apprenticeship based, and as this book tells it Morrison comes in from a academic publishing background and is immediately assembling anthologies, negotiating contracts, and creating marketing plans. I wondered how she learned how to navigate trade publishing. I also would’ve loved to know more about the books she lost out on—were there books she tried to acquire but couldn’t get the publisher on board for?

From a non-industry perspective, I think this is missing a bit of the big picture takeaway of Morrison’s editorship and how it changed publishing. There’s that famous chart showing how the number of books published by Black authors jumped when Morrison was an editor. I would’ve loved to get more of a conclusion of how Morrison shifted things in the industry.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before Toni Morrison became the renowned author we all know, she was a legendary editor at Random House. Williams exhaustively details her tenure there, going through the most significant books she took on and championed, recounting Morrison's efforts to bring attention to Black voices, both American and international writers, her keen sense of how to make works more compelling, and her ability to draw attention to both commercial and critical writing. Often in Morrison's own words (letters she wrote to her authors) we see someone who had a full grasp of the publishing industry and how to make it work for marginalized voices and stories. 

Thanks to Libro FM for this advanced listening copy. A great audiobook that gives you a sense of the nuts and bolts of publishing and editing, while also giving is an even fuller picture of how remarkable Morrison was. 

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toni at Random by Dana A. Williams is a fascinating exploration about the incomparable Toni Morrison’s incredible legacy upon the publishing world as an editor specifically her tenure at Random House. Toni Morrison was a beloved giant in the literary world. Her profound books, writings, and words are still being devoured and having an impact on her devout readers, and those who are new to her works. But many readers don’t know how she changed publishing through her editorship.

Dana A. Williams research and first hand accounts into Toni Morrison’s time as an editor is impeccable. She sheds light on how Toni as an editor working with major talents gave voice to their amazing stories, and truly helped shift the cultural context in the literary world. Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship is a meticulously crafted, insightful memoir that exposes Toni Morrison’s editorial prowess, and her incredible genius. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this engaging book. A huge thank you to Amistad, the author, and NetGalley for the eARC of the book. If you’re looking for a captivating nonfiction book to read, then definitely add Toni at Random to your list.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

“the survival of Black publishing, which […] is a sort of way of saying the survival of Black writing, will depend on the same things that the survival of Black anything depends on, which is the energies and of Black people – sheer energy, inventiveness and innovation, tenacity, the ability to hang on, and a contempt for those huge, monolithic institutions and agencies which do obstruct us”.

My respect and admiration for Toni Morrison has ascended to the highest level after reading this. From the start, she made it her goal to publish Black authors and share the authentic Black experience with the world. She showed her love for her people through her writing and her actions. As editor, she made sure to put her people first and worked tirelessly to make sure their stories were heard with no regard for the white gaze or any other watchful eye. I love all the ways that she loved us…firmly, unapologetically, loud and proud. You hear it in her interviews, you feel it through her writing, you see it in her profound impact as a visionary editor. We have her to thank for empowering cultural icons such as Angela Davis, Muhammad Ali, Lucille Clifton, and Toni Cade Bambara to tell their stories on their own terms.

“Toni Morrison transcended her role as an author, helping to shape an important period in American publishing and literature as an editor at one of the nation's most prestigious publishing houses. While Toni Morrison's literary achievements are widely celebrated, her editorial work is little known. Drawing on extensive research and firsthand accounts, Dana Williams recounts Morrison's remarkable journey from her early days at Random House to her emergence as one of its most important editors.”

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very engaging dive into Toni Morrison’s influence as an editor at Random House in the 1970s, and an illuminating reveal of her influence in shaping the rise of traditionally published Black authors.

Prior to learning about this book, I had no idea that Morrison used to be an editor, let alone the editor of some seminal Black authors of the time, including Angela Davis, Muhammed Ali, Toni Cade Bambara, Lucille Clifton, and more. TONI AT RANDOM follows a somewhat repetitive format, with each chapter covering one of the authors that Morrison edited.

TAR gives a fantastically detailed and close look into the potential and importance of the author-editor relationship, and of the editor’s role in shaping a book or author’s success. Williams clearly uses a wealth of primary sources to chronicle the back-and-forth communications of Morrison and her authors. I have no personal knowledge of the editorial process, but I get the feeling that Morrison was an editor bar none. It was incredible to look at not only her line-by-line edits--Morrison would remark to the author over the implications of such-and-such wording, and make suggestions--but also her feedback on the overall structure of the book, and even her directions to the sales and marketing teams. This is not to say that her feedback was always well received--indeed, Williams does not shy away from mentioning the times that authors responded negatively to Morrison’s edits--but I am in awe of the level of detail and insight that Morrison committed to her editing.

Throughout TAR, we always get a sense of Morrison as a champion for the commercial (not only the literary) success and potential of Black authors. This was a time when the push for diversity was new, and the establishment was uncertain whether that would translate into the necessary profits. Morrison insisted that Black readers would read Black authors and make them into commercial successes. I appreciated learning that Morrison’s typical approach to contributing to the commercial success of her authors was to reach out to other prominent Black writers, thinkers, and/or creatives to get their endorsements; to send their books to Black publications, stores, and reviewers; and to throw literary events that got together the best and brightest of the Black creative world to promote the books. She was fully committed to carrying out her belief that Black books could be successful, something it’d be nice to see more of from today’s traditional publishers.

I also appreciated the fact that Williams shows the less glorious sides of Morrison’s editorship. Particularly as Morrison’s own career as an author rose, she occasionally dropped the ball--replying to her authors late, or making a typo that offended someone. Yet all of these times Morrison fully owned up to her error and fixed it as promptly as she could. She comes off as a full and real person, extraordinary but also human. I like her all the more for knowing this.

While TONI AT RANDOM may not be required reading, I enjoyed it a lot, and it would make for a great gift for a Morrison fan who wants to get to know a different side to the acclaimed writer.

[Erricka Hager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dana A. Williams does a remarkable job introducing us to Toni, the editor, and offering a compelling glimpse into her editorial vision and the behind-the-scenes decisions that shaped some of the most influential books in American literature. I especially loved reading about Toni’s strategic and deeply intentional support of Black women writers, many of whom I’ve long admired. Her commitment to ensuring Black authors were fairly compensated and given equal, if not greater, marketing attention than their white peers was powerful and affirming.

This memoir reminded me of another favorite I read this year, a historical fiction novel that reimagines the life of Jessie Redmon Fauset, one of the true godmothers of the Harlem Renaissance.

Pick this one up if you’re curious about the publishing world, the editorial process, and the fierce advocacy it takes to shape a literary legacy.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Amistad for the opportunity to listen to this insightful and inspiring audiobook memoir of one of my all-time favorite writers.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was bound to read this, I mean, how am I not going to read a book about a famous book editor? As it happened, I read an excerpt first, which was so good it put the book at the top of my to-read list. Thanks to this author for doing the work of making Toni Morrison's editorial hard work and genius into public knowledge. While I would not compare my own work as an editor to Morrison's, it was still validating to read how she handled the struggles that every editor has to deal with. And it is fun to read about a super-editor who managed to get a big trade house to take on risky, ambitious projects, again and again. It's also good to see the emphasis on Morrison's ability to get everyone on board, because book work is team work, and she knew it. Perhaps this book is not for everyone, but for those who want to know how books get published, this is your chance to find out. And for those who work in publishing, you'll love the inside look at Morrison's work.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Morrison died six years ago, I assumed that at least one definitive, hefty, literary biography would eventually find its way to us. This is not that book, but it's still full of detail about at least one aspect of Morrison's life. I found much of it fascinating in its curation of minutiae about her work process, how she communicated as a publishing professional, and her editorial impact on, primarily, both major and lesser-known Black writers. Because it's a necessary part of biographical storytelling to, in this case, gravitate to the notable authors, the major books, and the friction-filled projects, I wondered if the curation was creating a skewed perspective that Morrison was in persistent struggle with colleagues and contracted authors at Random House; perhaps she was. I look forward to the eventual full biography that, I assume, will also tell the story of this part of Morrison's life.

[Jalisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really happy that the book exists but I wish there was more analysis and context setting around the importance of Morrison's editorship and how she balanced that with her writing role. it was mentioned but didn't feel like there was the depth there that I was hoping for. It felt a lot more like a retelling of the work she did without a real sense of climax or consistent intrigue. The chapters were also a bit uneven with some being far stronger than others. The Toni Cade Bambara, Angela Davis, and Muhammad Ali chapters were interesting but then moving to the book about a train just felt like a missed opportunity of those edited books that could have been delved into. That said, I did appreciate the behind the scenes of publishing and seeing the numbers behind what people were getting for advances and the advocacy that Morrison did behind the scenes.

[Karin Wulf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I read this — isn’t that the best thing you can say about a book? Toni Morrison’s rich intellectual life and influence is obviously on display here. I understand now a whole realm of black writers and writing better and differently. But this book also shows us two critical aspects of publishing: the intellectual labor and process it takes to make a book, and the ways that acting as editor can be a complement to one’s life and work as a writer.

[Clara Mundy]

Toni Morrison the woman you were!!

[Martha Southgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review in the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/bo...

[Nick Surprise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many know Toni Morrison for her excellent novels. Far fewer know about her impact on the publishing industry as an editor at Random House. "Toni at Random" offers a much-needed correction by detailing the ways Morrison diversified the industry by bringing in new voices and shaping the national conversation. At its best, this book demonstrates that Morrison was a genius. Readers witness her insightful feedback on a wide variety of topics, as well as how Morrison navigated complex national and intra-office politics. The book loses focus when it attempts to provide a broader biography on Morrison, her early life and novels, perhaps to encourage a broader appeal. And it wraps up too quickly--the book needed a lengthier conclusion to tie together the major themes.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reportage, and the really detailed and very insightful context. The importance of Morrisons work as an editor shines from the cultural and nuts and bolts aspects of the role.

Strongly recommend for anybody interested in publishing, and/or African American literature. Maybe a little bit too detailed for some, but a really unique excellent book all the same.

[Jeffrey Clemmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stellar history of an underwritten part of the beloved Toni Morrison's career as more than a writer, but a cultural curator for Black America through her editorship at Random House from the late 1960s through the mid-1980s. It's hard not to fall in love with Morrison the person, the teacher, and the writer again and again reading this awesome piece of scholarship by Dana A. Williams. On every page, Morrison is revealed to be savvy, sardonic, and deeply passionate about the work of making great Black writers. It is bursting with insights about the editorial process; managing relationships and personalities; the value of hard work; the need to be flexible in work and life; how to be honest without being destructive; about overcoming perceived barriers by sheer force of presence. We are so lucky to have lived in a time with a Toni Morrison, without whom I am certain the American literary canon would be so much less rich, lacking in essential voices like the ones Morrison cultivated carefully over her many years at Random House. Random House certainly benefited from the mark she left on their publishing.

For a book about editing, however, I do think it could've itself benefited from more of it. Navigating Morrison's career at Random House in essentially episodic fashion, jumping across time periods to focus in on Morrison's interaction with various authors, made it a tear to read, but ultimately left me a less clear on the exact timeline of events. This dampened the narrative, which could've been made more thrilling by setting out events chronologically, instead. It might've better captured the utter messiness of being a book editor and strengthened Morrison's obvious prowess as a project manager. This is probably my own interest, since this book is not a straight biography of Morrison. While we learn much about her letters with others, don't expect to have a ton more revealed about her personal life. Likely, this is what Morrison wanted, but I can't help but crave a fuller biography of her life that brings together all these different Tonis who make the brilliant composite.

Overall, this is a timely work of scholarship that adds depth to Morrison's work and opens up an entire library of books by Black writers who were shaped by her editing and mentorship. You can't complete this book and not want to seek out critical entries that have seemingly gone out of print like There is a Tree Older Than Eden or less-recognized classics like Corregidora. Nor can you leave this book not wanting to commit to a close reading of books of all kinds, to hone in on those passages which surely received the love of a good editor who raised them from prosaic to prose.

[Garry Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dozen years of ground-breaking editorial work by American's premier Black woman novelist, analyzed by a noted African-American academic leader? With a brilliant, catchy title, suggested by Morrison herself! What a triumph and a joy this book promised to be. Yet it seems to me too often disappointingly pedestrian.

The acknowledgements at the end of the book, maybe its most interesting few pages, make clear that it was 10 years in contemplation and 20 in completion, and that it owes its creation to three strong Howard University women: author Dana Williams, her dissertation director Eleanor Traylor, and Morrison herself. As much cooperation and coaching as the author received from her subject, one cannot help wondering what the final product would have looked like had Morrison herself edited it.

For it is soon apparent that the book's title is ironic: there was nothing random about Toni's work at Random House. Williams leaves no doubt that Morrison was a ferocious editor- a determined, passionate, unyielding champion of books and authors she believed in, a committed collaborator willing to restructure or rewrite, a savvy marketer who got down in the weeds of contracts and covers and promotional tie-ins and book tours.

Williams would seem the perfect author for this work, given her decades-long investment, her connections and shared history, her prominence as president of both national professional organizations for college English teachers (CLA and MLA). And she clearly has deeply immersed herself in letters, memos, "editorial fact sheets," and interviews.

Yet the organization is simply chronological, the chapters too often a summary of exchanges between editor and author about the business of bringing a manuscript to publication, and the tone too often coolly controlled and professional. We get hints of the drama involved with some clients - Angela Davis, Muhammad Ali, James McPherson - and the friendships that developed with others, like "the other Toni" Cade Bambera. Occasionally we get a glimpse of the exclusive atmosphere in which Morrison moved, like an early Oprah or Gayle King, or of her increasing struggle to balance her own career as a novelist with her work as editor of the non-fiction of others. But mostly the tone is all business, leaning toward the impersonal. Only on a couple of rare occasions does Williams let her pronouns slip to reveal that Morrison was working to bring "our anger, frustration, and hope" (82) - meaning "Black life" - to light, and that she "has left for us a legacy" (321).

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Learning more about Toni Morrison’s life and how she liked to edit was interesting. This has made me want to look into more of the books she has edited. Some of those books are by popular authors like James Baldwin and Angela Davis. I’ve added books from here to my TBR like Angela Davis’ Women, Race and Class.

If you want to learn more about publishing, Toni Morrison and the books she edited this book is for you. I don’t know a ton about the publishing industry but I’d say I know more than the average person. I learned a lot more reading this book. I know the industry has changed since the 1980s, but I found it all fascinating,
I also learned some more about Toni Morrison. The author gives us a short biography about Toni’s life up to when she starts at Random House Publishing. Then the author goes into detail about each book she published. I don’t think the author goes into detail about every book. That would probably take too long and then become a boring book but the authors and books she chooses to discuss are interesting and insightful into Toni’s process as an editor. The author [insert name] adds in correspondence from Toni and the authors which helps us to understand Toni’s reasoning straight from her. We find out why she chose to work on certain books or with certain authors.
The audiobook narration was done really well. The only thing missing from my audiobook was a list of the books she edited. Which is something that would come with a purchased audiobook, but not one that would come if you got it from the library.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in less than a week. I would recommend it to Morrison fans and those wanting to learn more about the publishing industry, especially editing.

I typically give 5 stars to books I’m likely to read again, so this is getting 5 stars here only because I can't give it a 4.75.

I received this audiobook as an ARC. I have provided an honest review.

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toni Morrison was one of America's greatest writers, but she also had a day job for years as an editor at Random House. Here she would help advance authors and books that spoke to the wider Black experience in America and the world beyond, and craft a legacy just as important as her legacy as a writer.

"Toni at Random," by Dana A. Williams, seeks to highlight Morrison's tenure at the publishing house, where she found a staff receptive to her efforts to publish more Black authors. A trailblazer in expanding representation, Morrison helped guide the writing careers of known and unknown authors alike, from Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali to authors whose names are unfamiliar to me but, because of Williams' descriptions of them, I do plan to seek out.

Morrison was a great writer because she knew what worked and what did not, and she displayed those same skills when dealing with authors. Never one to play the "Toni Morrison, great American writer" card, she instead alternated between deferring to the judgment of her clients and chiming in with her own input and suggestions when she felt that they were necessary. While not always easy to work with, she respected her writers and pushed them to go the extra mile. Settling for just-okay was unacceptable to Morrison, and she did her best to ensure that she got the best out of her writers.

"Toni at Random" charts the most noteworthy projects of her tenure at Random House, be they massive bestsellers or moderate successes with literary merit. The book itself is a minor classic, because it captures a little-discussed side of one of the greatest authors in American literary history.

[Molebatsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toni at Random by Dana A. Williams shines a light on Toni Morrison’s lesser-known role as a powerhouse editor at Random House. While most know her as a Nobel-winning author, this book shows how she shaped Black literature by backing bold voices like Angela Davis, Muhammad Ali, and Gayl Jones . Her sharp eye and tough love helped authors craft stories that centred Black lives—not just white audiences .

Williams digs deep, using letters and interviews to show Morrison’s hustle—balancing editing, writing her own novels, and fighting for fair pay and marketing for Black writers . The book doesn’t sugarcoat things; Morrison clashed with stubborn authors and pushed back against publishers who doubted Black readers . But her passion for lifting others up jumps off every page.

What stands out is how Morrison made editing an art—whether polishing poetry or fighting for a book’s cover design. She believed every detail mattered, from fonts to fact sheets . Williams also captures her wit and warmth, like when she joked with Angela Davis about popcorn machines . It’s a fresh look at a legend, showing her as both a genius and a grinder.

If you love books about books, this is a must-read. It’s not just about Morrison’s legacy—it’s a masterclass on how to fight for stories that matter . Perfect for fans of publishing history or anyone who wants to see how one woman changed the game.