Literary titan and icon Toni Morrison (February 18, 1931-August 5, 2019) shaped a generation of black writers and inspired millions of readers across the globe. For our opening night event, we invite you to join us as we pay tribute to a woman who expanded our understanding of humanity by centering the experience of black, female lives and elevating the written language. Experience a special program full of poetry, music, food, and good company in celebration of the legacy of the late Toni Morrison.
Opening Reception + Performances • 6-8pm The reception admission includes a buffet dinner in the museum’s Luce Pavilion cafe. Come dressed for a night of celebration with live entertainment and poetry readings inspired by Toni Morrison’s work. The reception and performances precede the film Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, which screens at 8pm. $35 | $30 museum members
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am • 8pm Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. USA. 2019. 120 min. An artful and intimate meditation on the life and works of the legendary storyteller and Nobel prize-winner. From her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio, to ʼ70s-era book tours with Muhammad Ali, from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room, Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics, and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history, and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature. Inspired to write because no one took a “little black girl” seriously, Morrison reflects on her lifelong deconstruction of the master narrative. Woven together with a rich collection of art, history, literature, and personality, the film includes discussions about her many critically acclaimed works, including novels “The Bluest Eye,” “Sula” and “Song of Solomon,” her role as an editor of iconic African-American literature and her time teaching at Princeton University. Featuring interviews with Hilton Als, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez and Oprah Winfrey, who turned Morrison’s novel “Beloved” into a feature film.
