The Source of Self-Regard by Toni Morrison - 3 stars

[Joy D]

The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison - 3* - My Review

Collection of Toni Morrison’s essays and speeches that sheds light on Morrison’s worldviews. For me the most impactful and emotionally evocative pieces are her eulogies and meditations, those written to and about people she desires to honor. She also closely examines her own novels, and I found several nuggets that helped me understand her body of work better. This book was much more academic and philosophical than expected, with her objectives sometimes obscured beneath elaborate language. Several essays are detailed examinations of literary writing and criticism. She explores themes in works of other authors. She comments on society. I was not really expecting or seeking an academic treatise. I can, however, strongly recommend her fiction, especially Sula, Song of Solomon, Beloved, Paradise, and A Mercy. I enjoyed this book, but I think her messages come through beautifully, and more powerfully, in her fiction.