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The Literary Community Reacts to Morrison's Passing

Toni Morrison, the groundbreaking author of Beloved and The Bluest Eye, died in New York City on Monday at the age of 88. The news was announced by her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf and confirmed by the New York Times. Morrison was one of the most important voices of the 20th and 21st centuries, a Pulitzer Prize winner and Nobel Laureate whose work explored African American identity, family, and the nature of art itself over her many-decade career. Her latest collection of essays and speeches, The Source of Self-Regard, was published in February.



Image Credit: David Levenson


Shortly after Morrison's passing was made public, the literary community, celebrities, and academics took to social media to celebrate the life of the extraordinary author. Below are a selection of those reactions, and we'll update as more information becomes available:


Roxane Gay: "Her work was a gift to every one who had the pleasure of reading her."


Evette Dionne: "She gifted us with language, with courage, and with tenderness. She crowned us."

Vicky Mochama: "Toni Morrison thought black women were worthy and the best authors of our own lives."


Celeste Ng: "Thank you for everything, Ms. Morrison."



Elizabeth Gilbert: "Her greatness was absolute. Her words changed worlds."


More to come.

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