Morrison, Toni (1931 -) - Toni Morrison (Essay Date 1987)
TONI MORRISON (ESSAY DATE 1987)
SOURCE: Morrison, Toni. “Foreword.” In Beloved. 1987. Reprint edition, pp. xv-xix. New York: Vintage Books, 2004.
In the following essay, her foreword to Beloved, first published in 1987, Morrison recounts the personal experiences that inspired her to write Beloved, and provides insight into the essence of the “haunted house” in the novel and the characters that inhabit it.
In 1983 I lost my job—or left it. One, the other, or both. In any case, I had been part-time for a while, coming into the publishing house one day a week to do the correspondence-telephoning-meetings that were part of the job; editing manuscripts at home.
Leaving was a good idea for two reasons. One, I had written four novels and it seemed clear to everyone that writing was my central work. The question of priorities—how can you edit and write at the same time—seemed to...
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