Toni Morrison
By: Megan Parker
Introduction
Toni Morrison woke up at 4:30 am. She walked over to her table, sat down and started writing. Toni was working on her first novel, The Bluest Eye. The novel was almost done and Toni was excited to get it published.
Early Life
On February 18, 1931 in Loraine, Ohio, Chloe Anthony Wofford was born. She later changed her name to Toni Morrison. Toni's dad was named George Wofford, and Toni's mom was named Raman Wofford. Growing up, Toni lived in a poor family with not much money. She was the 2nd oldest out of 4 children. In 1949 when Toni was 18 she graduated from Loraine high school with honors.
Adult Life
When Toni was 22, in 1953, she graduated fro Howard University and enrolled at Cornell University. Then in 1955, Toni age 24 earned her masters degree in English, form Cornell University. After going to Cornell University, Toni started teaching English at Texas Southern University. Shortly after this, Toni age 28 in 1957 began teaching English at Howard University. The next year in 1958 Toni married married Harold Morrison, at age 27. Many years later in 1964 Toni divorced Harold Morrison. Two years after that, in 1969, Toni's first book, The Bluest Eye, was published. Soon afterwards in 1973 Toni's second book, Sula, was published in 1973. A couple years after Sula was published, Sula was nominated for a National Book award in 1975. Not to long after Sula was published Toni's third book, The Song of Solomon, was published. A year later in 1978 Toni's book, The Song of Solomon, won the National Book Critics Circle Award. The Song of Solomon also won the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award the same year. Nine years later Toni Morrison's fourth book, Beloved, was published. The next year, 1988, Toni's novel, Beloved, won the Pulitzer Prize. Four years later Toni got her fifth book, Jazz, published in 1992. The next year on Thursday, October 7th, 1993 Toni Morrison woke up in her New Jersey home at 4:30 a.m. to write. Two and a half hours later the phone rang startling Toni. " I knew it was bad news" Toni had said. But it was Toni's friend Ruth Simmons, from Princeton University, with good news instead of bad news. Ruth told Toni that she had just won the Nobel Prize for literature! that prize is one o the most important prizes a writer can win. Toni Morrison was the first African-American women to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Remembered For
Toni Morrison is mostly remembered for her writing. A lot of Toni's stories revolve around black women defining their roles and striving to survive in a male dominated society. Some of Toni's books are The Bluest Eye (her first book), Sula, jazz, Beloved, Love, A Mercy, Home, Song of Solomon and many more. Toni Morrison was a great writer and won many prizes. Toni Morrison is still living today.
Conclusion
Toni Morrison wrote many great books. I can't wait to read one!
Recourses
Book Resources
Morrison, Toni. Contemporary African Americans: Toni Morrison. Austin: Raintree Steck-vaughN, 1997. Print.
Online Recourses
- http://www.biography.com/
- http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/home
- http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/frontpage
- http://www.badgerlink.net/
Pictures