Have we been reading Toni Morrison all wrong?

This definitive 480-page study presents a detailed portrait of James P. Johnson's life, music, teachers, associates, and protégés from the early 1910s to the early 1950s. Scott E. Brown explores previously unavailable primary sources, including Johnson's personal papers, to fill gaps in Johnson's biography and reveal his monumental contributions not only to stride piano but also to musical theater, symphonic music, and American popular song. The book demonstrates that Johnson was far more than a brilliant stride pianist, showcasing his work as a composer and his influence on major figures like Duke Ellington and Art Tatum.

Cosmic Music is the definitive biography of Alice Coltrane (1937-2007), a pioneering artist whose forward-thinking music laid the groundwork for new age, ambient, and electronic genres, often overshadowed by her husband John Coltrane. Drawing on extensive research and new interviews, author Andy Beta traces her journey from Detroit piano prodigy and jazz harp innovator to spiritual leader founding Sai Anantam Ashram, while exploring her connections to icons like Stevie Wonder and her role in transforming Black American music from gospel to psychedelia.

Dreaming Emmett is Toni Morrison's first play, commissioned by the New York State Writers Institute and premiered in 1986 at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany, New York. Structured as a dream within a dream, it follows the spirit of 14-year-old Emmett Till as he reminisces about his summer vacation and interacts with friends, his mother, the woman he accosted, and his white killers, exploring themes of white supremacy, grief, loss, and feminism through masked characters and surreal scenes. The play was performed for only four weeks and has not been produced since, though it showcases Morrison's innovative use of dreams to bring Till's story to life cathartically.

The Song of Solomon is a lyric poem that extols the virtues of love between a husband and his wife. It presents marriage as God's design, emphasizing care, commitment, and delight within the marital relationship. The book is divided into three main sections: courtship, the wedding, and the maturing marriage. It also contains themes of physical and spiritual love, and some interpretations see it as an allegory for Christ's love for the Church.

Published in 1973, 'Sula' by Toni Morrison is a novel that delves into the intricate and often fraught relationship between two childhood friends, Sula Peace and Nel Wright, growing up in the African American community of the Bottom in Ohio. The narrative explores themes of friendship, identity, freedom, and the consequences of societal expectations. Sula, who challenges traditional norms and lives a life of independence, and Nel, who opts for a conventional life as a wife and mother, find their bond tested by a tragic incident and later by Sula's affair with Nel's husband. The novel questions the terms 'good' and 'evil', highlighting the ambiguity and complexity of human relationships and the impact of societal judgments. Through the characters' experiences, Morrison examines issues of motherhood, black masculinity, and the constraints faced by black people in a small-town environment.

Published in 1987, 'Beloved' is a work of historical fiction that delves into the aftermath of the American Civil War. The novel centers around Sethe, a Black woman who escaped from slavery in Kentucky and now lives in Ohio. However, her life is haunted by the ghost of her two-year-old daughter, whom she killed to prevent her from being taken back into slavery. The story is deeply intertwined with themes of mother-daughter relationships, the power of family and community, and the lasting impact of slavery on individuals and society. The novel introduces a mysterious figure named Beloved, who is the physical manifestation of Sethe's murdered daughter, and explores how this presence disrupts and ultimately transforms the lives of Sethe and her surviving daughter, Denver. Through a complex narrative that includes flashbacks, stream-of-consciousness monologues, and multiple voices, Morrison examines the trauma and resilience of those affected by slavery.