A.J. Verdelle's 'Literary Friendship' with Toni Morrison

Episode notes

Being friends with Toni Morrison, one of the most influential
writers in American literature was a life-changing experience for
A.J. Verdelle, but it came with its ups and downs. A.J. writes
about her relationship with the Beloved author, including
their "two and a half spats" in Miss Chloe: A Memoir of a
Literary Friendship with Toni Morrison. In this episode, A.J.
sits down with nonfiction author Jane Brox to give us insight
into her writing process and the impact of being chosen by Toni
Morrison.
About our guest

A. J. Verdelle is the award-winning author of the novel, The
Good Negress, as well as a number of essays and short
stories. She was awarded the Whiting Award in fiction, the
Vursell Distinguished Fiction Award from the American Academy of
Arts and Letters; the Bunting Fellowship and the NEA Critical
Studies Award. She was also a finalist for PEN/Faulkner Award.
A.J. teaches in Lesley's MFA in Creative Writing program.


Mentioned in this episode:


‘Miss Chloe’ recounts A.J. Verdelle’s friendship with Toni
Morrison

Get writing advice from A.J. on Ep. 35 of Why We Write

The sound of 'Silence' with Jane Brox