In this episode, journalist Nadra Nittle brings an expansive view to the study of Toni Morrison's life and literary worlds. In her book Toni Morrison's Spiritual Vision: Faith, Folktales, and Feminism in Her Life and Literature, Nadra draws on dozens of interviews and a deep reading of Morrison's novels to trace an understanding of what kinds of spirituality—what ways of seeing meaning and magic in the world—inspired the iconic, Nobel-prize-winning novelist.
“Toni Morrison grew up fully aware and fully comfortable with the fact that science didn’t explain everything that went on in the world”
“She really grew up in a world where people believed in magic, but in addition to that they were also Christians”
“Morrison’s mother and grandmother didn’t believe there was really a difference between the subconscious world and the conscious world and that’s reflected throughout a lot of Morisson’s literature.”
“Someone would be working in the fields and they would say some magical words and the next thing you know they had flown home… Growing up this is what the people Toni Morrison knew believed and she thought that was a valid belief whether it had literally happened or it was a way for people to comfort themselves… somehow through magical means some of these people were able to liberate themselves.”
Episode Notes
Link to the book:
