Photos: Remembering Toni Morrison, doyenne of literature for freedom
Toni Morrison, a pioneer and reigning giant of modern literature whose imaginative power in “Beloved,” ‘’Song of Solomon” and other works transformed American letters by dramatizing the pursuit of freedom within the boundaries of race, died on August 05, 2019 at age 88 following a brief illness. The recipient of Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize for literature and Presidential Medal of Freedom, publisher Alfred A. Knopf announced her demise on Monday, August 05, 2019 in New York. A look at her illustrious career in literature and as a voice for the African-American community.
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Visitors view a portrait of Toni Morrison, by the artist Robert McCurdy at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington. Morrison, a pioneer and giant of modern literature whose imaginative power in ‘Beloved,’ ‘Song of Solomon’ and other works transformed American letters by dramatizing the pursuit of freedom within the boundaries of race, died aged 88 following a brief illness. (Patrick Semansky / AP)
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Toni Morrison smiles with then US President Barack Obama as he prepares to award her a 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on May 29, 2012. “I remember reading ‘Song of Solomon’ when I was a kid and not just trying to figure out how to write, but also how to be and how to think,” Obama said, referring to her 1977 novel. (Kevin Lamarque / REUTERS File)
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An artist completes a wall painting depicting Morrison at the unveiling ceremony of a memorial bench marking the abolition of slavery in Paris, November 5, 2010. The Nobel committee honoured her career and dedication to centering the lives and histories of African Americans, writing in its citation that Morrison’s work is “characterized by visionary force and poetic import” and “gives life to an essential aspect of American reality.” (Benoit Tessier / REUTERS File)
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Toni Morrison holds an orchid at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York on April 5, 1994. “I’m not a victim. I refuse to be one... if you can only be tall because somebody is on their knees, then you have a serious problem. And my feeling is that white people have a very, very serious problem and they should start thinking about what they can do about it. Take me out of it,” said Morrison. (Kathy Willens / AP File)
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