Fun Facts About Toni Morrison
- Toni Morrison was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford. Her nickname Toni came from Anthony, the baptismal name she took when she became a Catholic at age 12.[1]
- Morrison wrote her first novel, The Bluest Eye, by getting up at 4 a.m. every morning while raising two children on her own. It came out when she was 39.[1]
- Before her fame as a novelist, Morrison was the first Black woman senior editor in fiction at Random House, where she fostered a new generation of Black writers.[1]
- Beloved was inspired by the true story of Margaret Garner, who escaped slavery. Morrison found the story while editing The Black Book, and later wrote an opera libretto about Garner.[1]
- Writing about the 1998 impeachment, Morrison called Bill Clinton "our first black President." She later said she meant he was being treated "like a black on the street, already guilty."[1]
- Oprah Winfrey spent ten years bringing Beloved to the screen, and her book club picks gave Morrison's works a bigger sales boost than her Nobel Prize did.[1][3][4]
- Toni Morrison was alive at the same time as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk — their lives overlapped for 7 years (1931–1938).[1][2][5][6]
- Toni Morrison shares a birthday with Yoko Ono: both were born on February 18.[1][2][7][8]
Chloe Anthony Wofford "Toni" Morrison was an American novelist and editor. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed Song of Solomon (1977) brought her national attention and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1988, Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved (1987).[1]
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Questions About Toni Morrison
When was Toni Morrison born?
Toni Morrison was born on February 18, 1931, and died on August 5, 2019.
How old was Toni Morrison at death?
Toni Morrison was born on February 18, 1931, and died on August 5, 2019, at age 88.
What was Toni Morrison known for?
Toni Morrison was known for: Beloved, Nobel Prize in Literature. Chloe Anthony Wofford "Toni" Morrison was an American novelist and editor. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed Song of Solomon (1977) brought her national attention and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1988, Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved (1987).
Who was alive at the same time as Toni Morrison?
Toni Morrison's closest contemporary was James Watson. Their lives overlapped for 88 years.
Sources
- Toni Morrison — Wikipedia. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Toni Morrison (Q72334) — Wikidata
- Oprah Winfrey — Wikipedia
- Oprah Winfrey (Q55800) — Wikidata
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk — Wikipedia
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (Q5152) — Wikidata
- Yoko Ono — Wikipedia
- Yoko Ono (Q117012) — Wikidata
- Portrait: Toni Morrison.jpg — Wikimedia Commons. John Mathew Smith ( celebrity-photos.com), CC BY-SA 2.0