The language must be careful and must appear effortless. It must not sweat. It must suggest and be provocative at the same time.
Toni Morrisonguileless and without vanity,we were still in love with ourselves then. We felt comfortable in our own skins, enjoyed the news that our senses released to us, admired our dirt, cultivated our scars, and could not comprehend this unworthiness.
Toni MorrisonI sometimes lose interest in the characters and get much more interested in the trees and animals.
Toni MorrisonLike friendship, hatred needed more than physical intimacy; it wanted creativity and hard work to sustain itself
Toni MorrisonIf a Negro got legs he ought to use them. Sit down too long, somebody will figure out a way to tie them up.
Toni MorrisonDid you ever see the way the clouds love a mountain? They circle all around it; sometimes you can't even see the mountain for the clouds. But you know what? ... The clouds never cover the head. His head pokes through, because the clouds let him; they don't wrap him up. They let him keep his head high, free.
Toni Morrison