From the Margin to the Center: Toni Morrison, a Curator of Culture
DANA A. WILLIAMS in conversation with V. EFUA PRINCE

11:15 am – 12:15 pm
31st Street & Barclay Street
Waverly Neighborhood

Deemed an “essential” work and a “scholarly page-turner,” Toni at Random by DANA A. WILLIAMS is a stellar accounting of the publishing career of Toni Morrison, one of the most celebrated book editors of the 20th century, and her 20 years with Random House. Author and scholar V. EFUA PRINCE joins Williams in conversation. Recently feted on the covers of Poets & Writers, The New York Times Book Review, and heralded for its astute chronicling of Toni behind the scenes, working with premier authors, Morrison designated Williams to write this book. Called a “decisive voice in how the books she edited should be marketed (June Jordan, Lucille Clifton, Toni Cade Bambara, Huey Newton, Gayl Jones, among others) … The result is a triumphant account of an underexplored aspect of Morrison’s influence on American culture.” (Publisher’s Weekly*) Morrison insisted she could construct a book-buying audience through tailored marketing and promotion, and move Black culture “from the margin to the center,” as we learn her process of shaping books that carried out that mission. “In the end, Morrison declared, “This is our work.” Meticulously researched, Toni at Random is a must-read for anyone who wants an inside look at publishing.