Episode Details

[REBROADCAST FROM June 17, 2025] You know Toni Morrison the writer, but what about Toni the editor? As she rose in literary fame, Morrison also worked in publishing as a senior editor for Random House, the first black woman to hold such a title in the company. Dana A. Williams, professor of African American literature and dean of the Graduate School at Howard University, discusses her new book about Toni Morrison's career as an editor, Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer's Legendary Editorship, which includes stories about the authors she shaped, and her efforts to change publishing for the better. Toni at Random is nominated for Outstanding Literary Work (Biography/ Autobiography) at this year's NAACP Image Awards.