Toni Morrison as an Editor: Dana A. Williams with Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and Lisa Lucas

A winner of the Nobel Prize, Toni Morrison’s novels transformed 20th century literature. Her work as an editor was just as visionary. Join African American literature scholar Dana A. Williams with acclaimed poet and novelist Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and publisher Lisa Lucas for a conversation about Williams’ revelatory new book, Toni at Random. While writing era-defining novels like The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, Toni Morrison transcended her role as an author. As an editor at Random House, Morrison published important authors like Leon Forrest and Lucille Clifton and empowered cultural icons like Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali to tell their stories on their own terms — ushered in a new generation of Black voices and transforming the American literary landscape. Meticulously researched by Dana A. Williams — who Morrison herself selected to tell this story, offering unprecedented interview access — Toni at Random recounts this remarkable, lesser-known chapter of Morrison’s life: in which a literary genius quietly transformed her cultural landscape by championing a chorus of vital, underrepresented writers. In a special conversation about Morrison’s life and the complex creative interplay between writing and editing, hear Williams, Jeffers, and Lucas shed new light on the life and work of one our most important writers — and find out how it continues to ripple through American literature today. Recorded June 19, 2025 at The 92nd Street Y, New York Your support helps us continue creating online content for our community. Donate now: http://www.92NY.org/Donate Facebook:   / 92ndstreety   Instagram:   / 92ndstreety   TikTok:   / 92ndstreety   Archives: https://www.92ny.org/archives