Critical Companion to Toni Morrison

497 Pages·2007·2.97 MB·English

CRITICAL COMPANION TO
Toni Morrison

CRITICAL COMPANION TO
Toni Morrison
A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work
CARMEN GILLESPIE
Critical Companion to Toni Morrison
Copyright © 2008 by Carmen Gillespie
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gillespie, Carmen.
Critical companion to Toni Morrison : a literary reference to her life and work /
Carmen Gillespie.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8160-6276-8 (hc : acid-free paper) 1. Morrison, Toni. I. Title. II.
Title: Facts On File critical companion to Toni Morrison.
PS3563.O8749Z653 2007
813'.54—dc22 2006038231
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Text design by Erika K. Arroyo
Cover design by Cathy Rincon/Anastasia Plé
Printed in the United States of America
VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
The mothers soar and the children must know their names.
—To Professor Toni Morrison, with awe and gratitude.

C
ONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Part I: Biography 1
Part II: Works A to Z 15
Novels and Short Fiction 17
Beloved 19
Bluest Eye, The 46
Jazz 71
Love 92
Paradise 130
“Recitatif” 161
Song of Solomon 164
Sula 189
Tar Baby 208
Children’s Books 229
Nonfiction Books 235
Major Essays, Interviews, and Speeches 241
Cinematic, Theatrical, Musical, Poetic, and Dance
Productions 253
Part III: Related People, Places, and Topics 261
Part IV: Appendices 411
Chronology of Toni Morrison’s Life 413
Chronologies of Individual Novels 420
Selected Bibliography of Toni Morrison’s Works 438
Selected Bibliography of Secondary Sources 440
Index 469
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks go to all of the many students expertly responded to all of my requests. This book
with whom I have been fortunate to share the was finished expediently with the expert research
experience of exploring Morrison’s work. J. Scott, I and transcription skills of my graduate research
am grateful for our many conversations about Mor- assistant, Adam Tavel.
rison and her works and for your sending me the I extend thanks to my friend Vincent Stephens
announcement about this publication. My appre- for endless pep talks, insight, and feedback.
ciation and admiration go to the members of the Finally, and most importantly, I gratefully acknowl-
Toni Morrison Society, the Wintergreen Women, edge my family: my husband, Harold Bakst, who
and Cave Canem for their support, encourage- always believed that I could rise to this challenge and
ment, and example. helped me every step of the way, my daughter, Chel-
I am indebted to the wonderful and accommo- sea, who patiently and cheerfully endured the sight
dating staff at the Lorain Public Library, especially of her mother perpetually glued to the computer, and
Sandra Ruth and Valerie Smith, who patiently and Delaney, the new addition to our family.
ix