Quantifying Toni Morrison's Reception -- ep. by Kenton Rambsy and Howard Rambsy II

A short take on the remarkable reception of Toni Morrison. 

Written by Kenton Rambsy and Howard Rambsy II.

Read by Kassandra Timm. 

Transcript

Since the 1970s, scholars have produced extensive examinations of works by Black authors. But one African American novelist in particular has been written about in scholarly articles far more than others. 

You’re listening to Remarkable Receptions – a podcast about popular and critical responses to African American novels. 

Who is the African American novelist whose works have generated the most scholarly attention? Well, of course, it’s Toni Morrison. 

From 1973 to today, hundreds of literary scholars published books, book chapters, and articles focusing on Morrison’s fiction. At least 68 critics published at least two articles about Morrison and her work.  Mae G. Henderson. Karla Holloway. Cheryl Wall. Richard Schur. Kevin Quashie. Barbara Christian. And more. Trudier Harris has written more than 7 articles and a book on Morrison’s novels. 

Scholars covered a variety of topics on all 11 of Morrison’s novels. However, they have produced the most writings on her 1970 novel, The Bluest Eye, her 1973 book Sula, her 1977 work Song of Solomon, and of course her 1987 opus Beloved. Morrison’s neo-slave narrative Beloved has received the most critical attention among her several works.  

Five scholarly journals—African American Review, the College Language Association Journal, Modern Fiction Studies, MELUS, and The Explicator— have published ten or more articles about Morrison.

Two of those journals —African American Review and the College Language Association Journal — published the most articles about Morrison. Since the 1970s, the College Language Association Journal has published at least 37 articles featuring Morrison. And, African American Review, which was previously known as Negro American Literature Forum from 1967 to 1976, and Black American Literature Forum from 1976 -1991, has published approximately 112 articles featuring Morrison since the 1970s. 

In other words, these two journals have been home to the most extensive ongoing conversations about Morrison’s creative work.

Numerous Black authors, such as Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin, have been the subject of substantial scholarship. And Toni Morrison? Well, she’s the novelist who has received the most remarkable reception. 

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This episode was written by Howard Rambsy and Kenton Rambsy. The episode was edited by Elizabeth Cali. 

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This podcast, Remarkable Receptions, is part of the Black Literature Network, a joint project from African American literary studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the History of Black Writing at the University of Kansas. The project was made possible by the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.  For more information, visit blacklitnetwork.org.