black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

What a woman. What a life.

Toni Morrison

We mistook violence for passion, indolence for leisure, and thought recklessness was freedom.
TONI MORRISON

Freedom Leisure Passion Violence
I think some aspects of writing can be taught. Obviously, you can’t teach vision or talent. But you can help with comfort.
TONI MORRISON

Comfortable Help Talent Teaching Writing
Writing is really a way of thinking–not just feeling but thinking about things that are disparate, unresolved, mysterious, problematic or just sweet.
TONI MORRISON

Disperate Mystery Problem Sweet Thinking Writing
Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.
TONI MORRISON

Claim Freedom Ownership Yourself
Like any artist without an art form, she became dangerous.
TONI MORRISON

Artist Danger She Women
And I am all the things I have ever loved: scuppernong wine, cool baptisms in silent water, dream books and number playing.
TONI MORRISON

Cool Love Number Play Self Love Silence Water Wine
It is sheer good fortune to miss somebody long before they leave you.
TONI MORRISON

Break Up Broken Heart Fortune Leaving Missing Sheer
Oppressive language does more than represent violence; it is violence; does more than represent the limits of knowledge; it limits knowledge.
TONI MORRISON

Knowledge Language Limitation Oppressive Represent Violence
Love is or it ain’t. Thin love ain’t love at all.
TONI MORRISON

Love One Liner
Black people have always been used as a buffer in this country between powers to prevent class war.
TONI MORRISON

Black Lives Matter Country People Power Prevent War
If there’s a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.
TONI MORRISON

Book Writing
I have only to break into the tightness of a strawberry, and I see summer – its dust and lowering skies.
TONI MORRISON

Break Strawberry Summer
For me the history of the place of black people in this country is so varied, complex and beautiful. And impactful.
TONI MORRISON

Beautiful Black Lives Matter Complex Country History Impact Place
The peace I am thinking of is the dance of an open mind when it engages another equally open one.
TONI MORRISON

Dance Engagement Equality Open Minded Peace Thinking
I’ve spent my entire writing life trying to make sure that the white gaze was not the dominant one in any of my books.
TONI MORRISON

Book Dominant Life Spend Try White Writing
Misery don’t call ahead. That’s why you have to stay awake – otherwise it just walks on in your door.
TONI MORRISON

Awake Door Misery Walk

What a woman. What a life.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

What a woman. What a life.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Toni Morrison Quotes