TCNJ

22 The College of New Jersey Magazine 1 The Toni Morrison Book Club (UWisconsin Press) hit book- stores in February. The authors will speak at Labyrinth Books in Princeton on March 5 at 6 p.m. 2 The authors (see bios, page 5) limited themselves to just four of Toni Morrison's novels: Beloved, The Bluest Eye, A Mercy, and Song of Solomon. 3 Publishers Weekly also gave the book a starred review for its "vast intellectual riches," while Kirkus described the book as "a moving meditation on race." make compelling reading when authors are willing to take risks. ¶ More than two years ago, four professors started meeting off-campus as "readers and friends, talking about novels and our lives." Like a book club, in other words. Except it was far from a typical club. ¶ First, everyone had a PhD: Juda Bennett, Cassandra Jackson, Piper Kendrix Williams from the Department of English, and Winnifred "Winnie" Brown-Glaude from sociology and African-American studies. ¶ Second, they chose to center their discussion on Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, best known for capturing the complexities of the black experience in America. "How do her novels — embedded as they are in history — speak to us now?" they asked. "How can her words illuminate the problems of everyday racism and guide us toward healthy responses and greater clarity?" Acknowledging Morrison's fervor for truth-telling, they disclosed often difficult secrets about their own experiences around issues of race, prejudice, and identity. ¶ Then they created The Toni Morrison Book Club. Booklist gave it a starred review, calling it " a beautiful homage to Morrison's legacy, and a light on all the work there is left to do." ¶ Cultural critic Roxane Gay spoke with them in November via Skype. The edited discussion follows, interspersed with excerpts from the memoir. Secrets Behind the book

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