I believe that one of the most beautiful passages I have ever written appears in A Crown of Stories: The Life and Language of Beloved Writer Toni Morrison. The passage incorporates her book titles and character names. See and hear the spreads above.

Illustrated by Khalif Tahir Thomspon, A Crown of Stories is a praise song written in second person. I chose that point of view not to put young readers in her shoes but to pen a love letter to Ms. Morrison herself. I completed the manuscript before Ms. Morrison became an ancestor. I had hoped, of course, that she might read the book and be pleased by my exultation.

Besides being a Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison is the most frequently banned author. Her books have been on the list of the 100 most banned titles in each of the previous three decades, reaching the top 10 between 2010 and 2019.

As one whose work has also been banned or challenged, I agree with Ms. Morrison’s assertion:

The best art is political and you ought to be able to make it unquestionably political and irrevocably beautiful at the same time.