When the news came across my phone, there was an intake of breath...then an exhale as my shoulders slumped in acceptance. Our literary Queen has crossed over to join God and the ancestors. Artists, artisans and writers of every stripe mourned her passing. Beautiful tributes filled social media. Wondrous words and images poured forth. Toni's wise words were revived and shared. We...us...them...everyone recognized the blessing this feminine being placed in our world.
My introduction to her work was in the spring of 1976 at Dillard University. I was a second-semester freshman in Kenneth Brown's literature class. "Sula" was on our reading list. The imagery was dense, the word landscape stretched across the pages like a horizon at sunrise. It was literary LSD - all bright colors and mind-altering sound. I couldn't just race through that book like so many before: it took me twice as long to get through a chapter because I would read a page, flip to the next and have to back-track because my brain couldn't absorb what my eyes had just seen. Had read so many books in the traditional canon, but this...Lawd, have mercy! It was a drumbeat that spoke to the rhythm of my heart and entered my bloodstream. I was overwhelmed at its beauty, its pure Blackness, its lush-osity.
Saying 'thank you' seems feeble. Saying 'I love you' isn't strong enough. Your spirit has risen into the heavens and we are blessed to hold your artistry in our hearts. We will forever speak your name - Toni...