One of my former colleagues at the magazine where I once worked found and posted this picture on Instagram this morning. I'm a little blown away, seeing this again. This was taken on the afternoon that Toni Morrison lunched with the editors. Recognize anyone? At the time of this photo, I had recently given birth to my daughter, and my son was three. That may be why Toni Morrison's words on parenting, quoted in my previous post, resonated so deeply for me. Here is the tribute I wrote to her yesterday. She rocked so many worlds with her words, written and spoken, and with her laugh, low and rumbling and wise. A professor once told her son that she was the single most important writer of the Twentieth Century. What wealth she has left for us all.
What a beautiful picture and what a perfect tribute. She was sister-mother to so many, wasn't she? Her very being shone with love.
ReplyDeleteOh my god this leaves me breathless!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! And there you are right next to her! Amazing!
ReplyDeletethank you for this and your tribute.
ReplyDeleteI recognize the three in the back to the right. Your former editor on the end there, Toni Morrison and Voila! you!
ReplyDelete"Toni Morrison’s eyes lit up for us in every room where she was. Through her work and her life, she set us free, simply by assuring us that no matter what we might face in this world, by her we were beloved."
ReplyDeleteLooking long at that sublime group photo of writers gives me all I will ever need to remind me of the sacred power of the written word. Thank you so much for sharing the photo and for the link to your tribute.
A beautiful tribute...
ReplyDeleteLook at you with all your radiance and smile. How wonderful that you had these encounters with Toni Morrison. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be in such close proximity with her. We were so lucky to have her, weren't we -- here on the earth. Thank you, too, for the memories of her comments about parenting. Like everything else she wrote and spoke of, her words were just so inspiring and sustaining.
ReplyDeleteClearly, Toni Morrison's profoundly gifted words fell on fertile ground in you. She was beautifully rewarded by your tribute to her.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful tribute. I love that your paths crossed with hers so many times. An intersection of poetic beauty.
ReplyDeleteYour tribute captured a wonderful snapshot of the lady and how she most affected you. Beautifully done. The quote on parenting would have affected me (and does) also.
ReplyDeleteI read your tribute. It's beautiful, thank you for sharing it with us.
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