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

Toni Morrison

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
There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race – scientifically, anthropologically. Racism is a construct, a social construct, it has a social function, racism.
TONI MORRISON

Construction Function Human Race Racism Social
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
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
Like any artist without an art form, she became dangerous.
TONI MORRISON

Artist Danger She Women
Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.
TONI MORRISON

Claim Freedom Ownership Yourself
I dream a dream that dreams back at me.
TONI MORRISON

Come Back Deep Dreams One Liner
Love is never any better than the lover.
TONI MORRISON

Love Lover
I want to discourage you from choosing anything or making any decision simply because it is safe. Things of value seldom are.
TONI MORRISON

Choose Decision Discourage Safe Seldom Value Want
I don’t think one parent can raise a child. I don’t think two parents can raise a child. You really need the whole village.
TONI MORRISON

Children Need Parents Raise Thinking Village
You don’t have to love me but you damn well have to respect me.
TONI MORRISON

Love Self Respect Women Empowerment
There’s a difference between writing for a living and writing for life. If you write for a living, you make enormous compromises. If you write for life, you’ll work hard; you’ll do what’s honest, not what pays.
TONI MORRISON

Difference Hard Work Honesty Life Live Pay Writing
Freedom is choosing your responsibility. It’s not having no responsibilitie s; it’s choosing the ones you want.
TONI MORRISON

Choose Freedom Responsiblity Want
The pieces I am, she gather them and gave them back to me in all the right order.
TONI MORRISON

Couple Friendship Gather Giving Love Pieces
All art is knowing when to stop.
TONI MORRISON

Art Inspirational One Liner Stop
Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe.
TONI MORRISON

Man People Safe Stupidity Violence Weakness Wicked
I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it.
TONI MORRISON

Fall In Love Love One Liner Rose
We mistook violence for passion, indolence for leisure, and thought recklessness was freedom.
TONI MORRISON

Freedom Leisure Passion Violence
Black people’s music is in a class by itself and always has been.
TONI MORRISON

Black Lives Matter Music People
Perhaps that’s what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?
TONI MORRISON

Human Life Perhaps Relationship Save
Racism will disappear when it’s no longer profitable, and no longer psychologically useful. And when that happens, it’ll be gone. But at the moment, people make a lot of money off of it, pro and con.
TONI MORRISON

Disappear Happen Money People Profit Psychology Racism
Today is always here,’ said Sethe. ‘Tomorrow, never.
TONI MORRISON

Future Inspirational Present
It was a fine cry – loud and long – but it had no bottom and it had no top, just circles and circles of sorrow.
TONI MORRISON

Circle Cry Loud Sad Sorrow
You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.
TONI MORRISON

Fly Freedom Give Up Let Go Shit Weigh
To get to a place where you could love anything you chose – not to need permission for desire – well now that was freedom.
TONI MORRISON

Choose Freedom Love Permission Place
In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent. This is precisely the time when artists go to work.
TONI MORRISON

Artist Choose Silence Time Work
A dream is just a nightmare with lipstick.
TONI MORRISON

Dreams Fashion Nightmare

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

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Popular Authors

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

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Toni Morrison Quotes