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Northeast Ohio Mourns Death of Author Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize-winning American author, editor, and professor photographed in May 2009 in Paris, France. [Olga Besnard/Shutterstock]

The world of literature lost a major figure with the passing of Toni Morrison Monday at age 88. 

Northeast Ohio cultural organizations and writers paid tribute to the late author upon the news of her passing.

The Lorain native won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her novel “Beloved,” one of several acclaimed works about the black experience in America. 

In 1993, Morrison became the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize. 

An elementary school is named in her honor in her hometown.

"It is inspirational leaders like Ms. Morrison that make us who we are and motivate us to continue to work hard to become our best selves for the sake of the young people we serve," said Lorain City Schools CEO David Hardy Jr. in an emailed statement.

When she spoke to ideastream’s Dee Perry in 2009, she talked about how family stories from her childhood influenced her work.

“They were beautifully told, but they were often violent. They weren’t redemptive,” Morrison said. “A lot of stories that were told among adults and two children were warnings, warning stories, something that you could learn to keep you safe.”