Have we been reading Toni Morrison all wrong?

13 April 2026 · 44m

Fresh Air

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In a new book, Harvard professor Namwali Serpell makes the case that we have been reading one of the most celebrated writers in American history all wrong. ‘On Morrison’ is a deep dive into the Nobel Laureate’s complete body of work — her 11 novels, plays, and criticism. Serpell has been teaching Morrison for nearly two decades, and she says no matter how many times she returns to the work, she still finds something new.

Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead reviews two new biographies of composers and pianists born 40 years apart.

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