The Pieces I Am

Artists on Film: Toni Morrison

Monday, November 11, 2019 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
  • Library Hall
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, the award-winning documentary that premiered at Sundance in 2019

An artful and intimate meditation on the life and works of the legendary storyteller and Nobel prize-winner. From her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio, to ʼ70s-era book tours with Muhammad Ali, from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room — Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature. Inspired to write because no one took a “little black girl” seriously, Morrison reflects on her lifelong deconstruction of the master narrative. Woven together with a rich collection of art, history, literature and personality, the film includes discussions about her many critically acclaimed works, including novels The Bluest Eye, Sula and Song of Solomon, her role as an editor of iconic African-American literature and her time teaching at Princeton University. Featuring interviews with Hilton Als, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez and Oprah Winfrey, who turned Morrison’s novel Beloved into a feature film.

 

 

Run Time: 

2 hours
Moving and profound. Look for this one to be front and center come Oscar time.
Los Angeles Times

About Artists on Film

An ongoing documentary film series at the Bud Werner Memorial Library that focuses on the life and work of creatives. See films that put the lens on all genres of artists,  from painters, photographers and sculptors to fashion designers, musicians, architects, movie makers, dancers, choreographers, authors and more. Learn about the legacies, lives and enduring work of individuals who have worked (or are still working) in a broad range of creative endeavors.