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Cover of The Source of Self-Regard

The Source of Self-Regard

Toni Morrison

544 pages

A masterclass in moral clarity and linguistic beauty that demands you slow down and listen to the conscience of a generation.

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What it feels like

Reading this collection feels like sitting in the presence of a profound intellect, listening to a master orator dissect the complexities of American life, art, and history. The pace is steady and deliberate, demanding that you pause to absorb the sheer weight and elegance of the sentences. It is an intellectually rigorous and deeply contemplative experience, steeped in a mood of solemn reverence and moral clarity. The prose is luminous and rhythmic, carrying the unmistakable cadence of a literary giant reflecting on the power of language itself. It will deeply satisfy readers who crave thoughtful, piercing essays that challenge the mind while nourishing the soul, offering a timeless meditation on what it means to be human, an artist, and a citizen.

Mood
  • contemplative
  • reverent
  • intellectually rigorous
  • solemn
Tone
  • authoritative
  • elegant
  • searching
  • piercing
  • moral
Pace
steady
Themes
the power of language · the role of the artist · racial justice · historical memory · female empowerment
The writing
Luminous, precise, and deeply rhythmic, carrying the weight and cadence of a master orator.
The arc
Moves from a place of deep questioning and historical mourning to a resolute, empowering call for moral and artistic clarity.
Who it's for
Readers who crave intellectual rigor, moral clarity, and the profound beauty of language applied to complex social issues.
Content notes
  • discussions of racism
  • historical trauma
  • grief and mourning

About the book

Arguably the most celebrated and revered writer of our time now gives us a new nonfiction collection--a rich gathering of her essays, speeches, and meditations on society, culture, and art, spanning four decades.

"One of the most celebrated and revered writers in the history of American literature gives us a new nonfiction collection--a rich gathering of her essays, speeches, and meditations on society, culture, and art, spanning four decades. The Source of Self-Regard is brimming with all the elegance of mind and style, the literary prowess and moral compass, that are Toni Morrison's hallmarks. It is divided into three parts: the first is introduced by a powerful prayer for the dead of 9/11, the second by a searching meditation on Martin Luther King Ir., and the last by a heart-wrenching eulogy for James Baldwin. In the writings and speeches included here, Morrison takes on contested social issues: the foreigner, female empowerment, the press, money, "black matter(s) and human rights. She looks at enduring aspects of culture: the role of the artist in society, the literary imagination, the Afro-American presence in American literature, and, in her Nobel lecture, the power of language itself. And here too is piercing commentary on her own work (including The Bluest Eye, Sala, Tar Baby, Jazz, Beloved, and Paradise) and that of others, among them painter and collagist Romare Bearden, author Toni Cade Bambara, and theater director Peter Sellars. In all, The Source of Self-Regard is a luminous and essential addition to Toni Morrison's oeuvre."--Dust jacket.

Description from Open Library.

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