This artful and intimate meditation on the legendary storyteller examines her life, her works and the powerful themes she has confronted throughout her literary career.
As this documentary still lingers in my mind, the thought of my first book waiting to be finished has become more than just something I planned to do, it has become something I have to do. When I think about Toni’s words as she revealed eliminating the white gaze, the fear of being judged and defined by the white audience, I realized this is most likely the reason that only a thousand words on a page still await me ready to be fully unleashed.
Toni was inspired by reading at a young age when her grandfather bragged about how many times he’d read the Bible. This was considered very important because when he was growing up, it was illegal for blacks to learn to read. As Toni’s sister taught her how to write, she discovered the power in words.
In this film, Toni narrates her own life. She talks about how much reading and literature had an effect on her. She began working at a local library in high school after her sister got her the job. Then going off to college, becoming a teacher and eventually an editor. She recounts her experience in the corporate world working with all white men and not being intimidating or threatened by their presence and also demanding equal pay when she was discriminated against. When she began writing, she wanted to create stories she would read and in a manner that wasn’t making fun of blacks, unlike many other books she had read.
Many amazing people like Oprah Winfrey, Fran Lebowitz, Angela Davis, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez, and Hilton Als come together to talk about Toni’s work and how her stories inspired them and the world in many ways. She did not only reach Americans but her work resonated with many on a global scale. Some of her books like ‘The Bluest Eye’ and ‘Paradise’ were said to be so controversial they were banned from prisons and schools. Toni, of course, thought that was funny because it meant her stories were that powerful. Toni finally received the long overdue Nobel prize in 1993.
A light-hearted documentary that will uplift and inspire you to use your voice, because as I write this, I realize Toni is right, words are the most powerful tool.
In theaters Friday, June 21st
