Toni Morrison’s death was a shock to many – here’s why writing about it was so hard to get right
The IndependentThere are some stories that hit us harder than others. When certain celebrities die, for example, most of us are able to take the day to get used to the bad news; tweet out our shock and sadness in disbelief; let it settle at the pit of our stomachs while we revisit the best of our idols’ works and share stories with loved ones about memories that loosely connect us to the figures who shape our lives. Right in the midst of the aftermath of mass shootings in America; after Donald Trump’s amped-up hate campaign; once newspapers finally decided to commit to calling out his racism – one of my all-time favourite writers, and one of the few left with the guts to write honestly and critically about race and society, had died. Laying out your thoughts succinctly and thoughtfully with very little time after something sad or tragic has happened isn’t just a skill, it’s a huge responsibility. As hard as that is when you’re still struggling to accept the reality of it, the privilege of being able to at least in part add to the chorus of celebrations of a life as fulfilled as Morrison’s more than makes up for it.
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