Public invited to star-studded memorial for Toni Morrison set for Nov. 21

Toni Morrison, who died in August, will be eulogized by celebrities and literary luminaries for her accomplishment in the world of culture and literature

Blue Telusma

Nov 14, 2019

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Just three months after her passing, Toni Morrison fans will already have an opportunity to honor her thanks to a new memorial taking place this month.

According to literary culture website LitHub, the “Beloved” author, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers, will be memorialized with a ceremony at New York City’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The service is open to the public and will begin at 4 p.m. EST.

Given Morrison’s impact not just on literature but on culture in general, unsurprisingly a star-studded list of guests is expected to attend. Several people will be standing up to eulogize her including Oprah Winfrey, David Remnick, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kevin Young and Angela Davis among others.

When news broke on Aug. 5 that the Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author had died, celebrities, politicians and even fellow writers all spoke up to send condolences and meditate on her contributions.

“I think that what she represented for me is this idea that where we come from, and everything that came before us, lives in each of us in such a way that we have a responsibility to carry it forward,” said Winfrey at the time, during a roundtable interview with theGrio.

“I remember in one of my first conversations with her. I don’t remember what the question was but she said, ‘I’ve always known I was gallant.’ Her assuredness about the way she could tell stories and her ability to use the language to affect us all is what I loved about her.”

During another interview with Variety, the media mogul admitted, “For me, there is no greater writer, there is no one who has been able to affect and have the impact, particularly on my life, and I think on African American culture the way she did. For me, there is no one else.”