The Source of Self-Regard by Toni Morrison

The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A luminous gathering of wisdom from the Nobel Laureate herself

"Speaks to today’s social and political moment as directly as this morning’s headlines." —NPR

The Source of Self-Regard brings together four decades of the indelible voice of Toni Morrison—writer, thinker, and literary icon. With powerful grace and razor-sharp insight, Morrison delivers a rich, penetrating collection of essays, meditations, and speeches on society, identity, power, and the role of language and art.

In these pages, readers will encounter:

• Her Nobel Prize lecture on the power of storytelling
• A searing eulogy for James Baldwin and a reflective tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
• Her meditation on the trauma of 9/11
• Critical examinations of race, freedom, feminism, and the artist’s responsibility in turbulent times
• Personal essays on her own work, including The Bluest Eye, Sula, Beloved, and Paradise

This timeless collection captures Morrison’s extraordinary intellect, moral clarity, and literary grace, all of which solidified her as one of America’s most revered and essential voices. It is both a historical artifact and a guiding light for today’s conversations around justice, truth, and expression.

Perfect for: Readers of nonfiction, literary criticism, and fans of Toni Morrison's novels looking to delve deeper into the mind of a Nobel Laureate.