Toni Morrison

Read Morrison's editorial work alongside her novels, especially her support for Gayl Jones's Corregidora. At Random House she argued for the book, challenged passages she thought needed work and helped bring an unconventional writer before readers. Her editorial effort backed Jones's distinctive voice and the demands it placed on readers. The relationship is valuable for its combination of protection and exacting criticism: taking a writer seriously can mean demanding more while defending the work's distinctive terms.