Photo: John Mathew Smith (celebrity-photos.com) / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on February 18, 1931 in Lorain, Ohio, United States, Toni Morrison was a writer, novelist and librettist. Toni Morrison died on August 5, 2019 at the age of 88. Schooling on record includes Lorain High School and Howard University. Awards on record include Nobel Prize in Literature (1993), Knight of the Legion of Honour, Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and 5 more. Credited works include The Bluest Eye, Sula and Song of Solomon.
My Take
Toni Morrison sits in a category of her own for me. A Black woman from small-town Lorain, Ohio who became the first to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, she wrote prose that refuses to comfort, from The Bluest Eye to Beloved and Song of Solomon. What I admire most is that she never wrote toward a white gaze; she centered Black interior life as the whole world, not a footnote. Her years as an editor mean she also opened doors for other voices. She died in 2019, but I keep returning to her, because she makes the case that literature can actually carry the weight of history.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Toni Morrison
- Name (Japanese)
- トニ・モリスン
- Reading
- とに・もりすん
- Born
- February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019
- Origin
- Lorain, Ohio, United States
- Occupation
- writer / novelist / librettist / university teacher / poet
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Goat
2. Background
- High school
- Lorain High School
- University
- Howard University
Awards & achievements
- 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- 2009 Norman Mailer Prize
- 2000 National Humanities Medal
- 2013 The Nichols-Chancellor's Medal
- 2013 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
- 1977 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize
3. Works & records
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | The Bluest Eye |
| Notable work | Sula |
| Notable work | Song of Solomon |
| Notable work | Beloved |
| Notable work | Tar Baby |
| Notable work | Jazz |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://tonimorrisonsociety.org
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni%20Morrison
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%88%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A2%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B9%E3%83%B3
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q72334
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Toni Morrison born?
Toni Morrison was born on February 18, 1931.
When did Toni Morrison die?
Toni Morrison died on August 5, 2019, aged 88.
Where was Toni Morrison from?
Toni Morrison was from Lorain, Ohio, United States.
What did Toni Morrison do?
Toni Morrison worked as writer, novelist, librettist, university teacher, poet.
Where did Toni Morrison study?
Toni Morrison attended Howard University.
What was Toni Morrison known for?
Toni Morrison's notable works include The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon.
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