NPR

'The Source Of Self-Regard' Speaks To Today's Social And Political Moment

Though the essays, speeches, and meditations in Toni Morrison's new nonfiction collection were written over the course of four decades, virtually every entry feels strikingly relevant now.
Toni Morrison, Nobel prize winning novelist, at the Hay Festival on May 27, 2014 in Hay-on-Wye, Wales.

Even though the essays, speeches, and meditations in Toni Morrison's most recent nonfiction collection were written over the course of four decades, The Source of Self-Regard speaks to today's social and political moment as directly as this morning's headlines.

Morrison turns her penetrating analysis on the mass movement of people across the globe, foreigners and foreignness, and what it means to be "exiled in the place one belongs." She takes on racism — in the media, society, and American literature — and examines how, step by deliberate step, nations move towards "its succubus twin fascism." Devotees should be happy

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Does Mining For Batteries Erase The Climate Benefits Of EVs? No, And Here's Why
NPR listeners wrote to ask whether the environmental harm from building EVs "cancels out" the cars' climate benefits. Experts say the answer is clear.
NPR2 min read
Biden Warns He'll Halt Israel Weapons Shipments; The Kendrick And Drake Beef Explained
Biden says he will halt additional weapons shipments to Israel if it proceeds with a major ground offensive in Rafah. NPR music editor Sheldon Pearce breaks down the Kendrick Lamar/Drake beef.
NPR3 min readCrime & Violence
Nigeria Has Detained A Journalist Who Reported On Corruption In A Widening Crackdown
Investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu has been arrested by police and held without charge for over a week, drawing criticism from advocacy groups over a worsening climate for independent journalism.

Related Books & Audiobooks