Photo by: Maura Longenecker

In celebration of Black History Month, Elizabethtown College has featured events focusing on the late Toni Morrison.

These events included the screening of the biographical film, “The Pieces I Am” Thursday, Feb. 6 and the talk given by Professor of English Dr. John Rohrkemper in the High Library Monday, Feb. 10 called “Toni Morrison’s Style.”

Morrison’s work has long been regarded as influential, earning her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Her significant works include the novels “The Bluest Eye,” “Beloved” and “Sula.”

Morrison is regarded as a phenomenal writer, but she was also as an advocate for fellow women of color.

Morrison highlighted the experience of black women in her work, writing dynamic stories about a group of people often overlooked in literature
Aug. 5, 2019, Morrison passed away. The world is still reckoning with her legacy and how to best conceptualize the broad scope of positive work that she has contributed to the world through her lectures and writing.

The events that have been held on campus serve to underscore Morrison’s significance, as well as to acquaint students with her work who may not have otherwise been familiar with her.

Such was the goal of the presentation given by Rohrkemper in the High Library. The event was put on with the support of and in coordination with Librarian Joshua Cohen.

The presentation given by Rohrkemper focused on the stylistic elements of Morrison’s writing that distinguish her.

“Dr. Rohrkemper explored how Morrison’s style of writing has changed from novel to novel to fit the particular content of each novel. He discussed the novels ‘The Bluest Eye’, ‘Beloved’, ‘Jazz’ and ‘The Song of Solomon,’” Cohen said.

Morrison’s work is versatile and comes from a place of deep empathy and understanding.

Translating those sentiments into practical, linguistic analyses of her work is what Rohrkemper has been doing for years as a Morrison scholar.

“I have written fairly extensively about Morrison’s writing, [from] scholarly articles [to] conference papers.” Rohrkemper said.

In his presentation, Rohrkemper compared various excepts from Morrison’s body of work and discussed the stylistic variety between them depending on the subject matter of the novel.

“Morrison is often praised for her moral vision, for her ferocity in tackling complicated and difficult themes, for her celebration of black storytelling, but she also was a brilliant stylist,” Rohrkemper said. “Each work is without question hers to those who know her writing, but each also has a particular style all its own.”

“I liked his comparison of some select passages from a variety of her novels to show how her style of prose changed over the course of her career based upon the needs of the particular story she was telling,” Cohen said, reflecting on Rohrkemper’s presentation.

Rohrkemper also provided an example of this stylistic variance, showing the versatility of Morrison’s talent.

“In her novel ‘Jazz,’ for instance, she not only writes about jazz music and the Jazz Age, but she writes in a style that feels like a jazz composition,” He said. “Because of this fusing of style and content, I often warn would-be readers of her work that each new novel they read will necessitate them learning how to read all over again.”

Morrison is often specifically regarded as an advocate for black women, and her literary talent at times can come second to discussions about her race and her gender.

Presentations such as Rohrkemper’s allow for audiences to engage with Morrison not just as an activist, but as the talented author she was.

It is important to allow Morrison this duality, especially given how significant her work was for giving light to the stories of people of color, specifically black people — voices who still are often missing from literary conversations.

“I think that Morrison should be remembered as one of the greatest American novelists of our time,” Cohen said. “She is not just a masterful storyteller and wordsmith; her work has fundamentally changed how we view our country’s historical narrative by placing the African-American experience at the center of that narrative.”

Rohrkemper echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the enduring significance of Morrison and her work.

“I think Morrison is and will continue to be regarded as a one of the greatest writers of the late-twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. No other American recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature has deserved it more than Morrison,” Rohrkemper said.

Morrison’s work uniquely tackles complex social issues all while embodying a remarkable understanding of literature.

While her work has always been significant, her recent passing has given students and scholars the opportunity to reflect on what her legacy will be.

“I think that the best way to honor Morrison is by reading her work. I would recommend ‘Beloved’ to anyone who is new to her writing,” Cohen said. “The library has a display of works by and about Toni Morrison on our main floor through the month of February.”