I heard an interview with Marlon James a few years ago, about a novel about women slaves on Haiti planning a revolt. I never got around to tracking down the book, but he (and it) sounded fascinating.

I had not heard of Marlon James before, but I'm going to have to check out "The Book of Night Women;" an interview gave a excerpt and he states Morrison and Atwood as influences -- two of my favorite authors. It looks quite interesting.

I re-read Beloved once a year, every year, for the harsh beauty of it. I sorely wanted to teach it to my seniors, but was told by by my Black superintendent (who told me she has never read "Beloved") that it was "too controversial" for my inner-city, 98% Black students. However, "Native Son" was just fine....I boggled. NS is an important book, but IMO, Beloved is far superior a piece of writing. Inhave to wonder if she had read Native Son, either.

And how can a person say a book is too controversial when one has not READ it? I cannot grok.

And how can a person say a book is too controversial when one has not READ it? I cannot grok.

It's been a long time since I read Beloved, but I would assume that the killing of the baby would be the sticking point there.

No, I think it was the sexual content, truly. My super was very conservative. But Native Son has rape, mutual male masturbation and graphic murders in it, so...

Erin, I taught Beloved to college students and yeah, some of the students were shocked by the sex in it. It's probably just me, but I find it disturbing that more people find sex upsetting than graphic murder.

Yeah, my sister says Morrison came up in her discussion with James. Unsurprisingly she's a big deal in my family (randomly, my mother is sometimes mistaken for her, and she never corrects the error. She's even been mistaken for her with a picture right there. I don't see it that much).

Last night I realised I didn't have my own copies of her books. I'm fixing that, starting with The Bluest Eye. That book freaked me out and upset me when I was little.

Burrell, I agree.

ita !, I have taught TBE, at a different school, and it was a very good book to teach. It IS very disturbing, and si impressive, on its own, yes, but especially as her first novel.

I saw Morrison speak once and it was fantastic. It was right when "Paradise" was released.

I still think "The Bluest Eye" is the best one, but I admire a bunch of the others, too.

I don't even remember the sex in Beloved. However, there are plenty of very disturbing images in it that will be seared in my brain forever.

We read Sula for book club last month. It's gorgeously written, almost a parable in many ways, but there's so much horror in it, too.