We’re continuing our book club series with a look at one devoted to Toni Morrison. “Toni Morrison’s untimely death in 2019 gave me the idea of a year-long book club dedicated to her, to gather all of her fans and those who still haven’t touched her genius, to pay homage to the gifted writer,” said book club creator Aayushi Jain. “The book club was a success, and we are left with only one book for December and have finished all of her fiction.”
For #NonFictionNovember, the group read The Origin of Others, based on Morrison’s Charles Eliot Norton Lectures. In it, Morrison reflects on the themes that preoccupy her work and increasingly dominate national and world politics: race, fear, borders, the mass movement of peoples, and the desire for belonging. She asks questions such as what is race and why does it matter? What motivates the human tendency to construct Others? Why does the presence of Others make us so afraid?
We spoke to members of Jain’s book club about the experience they had reading The Origin of Others. Here’s what they told us:
“In The Origin of Others, Morrison discusses the concept of ‘otherness’ by drawing examples from literature and her own personal experiences. She discusses her earlier works and how her thoughts shaped the character and storyline she created in her book. This book gave another significant depth to her earlier works. It is really commendable that in a few pages, she addresses so many powerful and insightful messages. Morrison's writing always makes me think and eventually changes my perspective of the world, and this book was no exception.”
—Shraddha Sen
“The Origin of Others was introduced in the Toni Morrison book club for nonfiction November. And I am glad that I got a chance to come a little closer to Morrison through her words. Thinking of her words is to think of the emotional and physical domination the women had to go with. Her stories are all about what it feels like to be a woman and that of being a black woman. The story of not lagging but reigning under the same sky of moon and stars, where there is an assurance of scintillating dawn and a new beginning.”
—Akanksha Kinwaar
“Race is the classification of a species, and we are the human race, period. Although a small book, The Origin of Others was an important read for me, all thanks to our book club. Growing up as a Northeasterner in India, I have always been on the receiving end of racism from the mainlanders because of my features. I am the ‘other’ to them, so this book hit close to home. The essays have opened my eyes regarding many international issues, especially in light of the recent BLM movement in the USA. The forward by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a powerful one, too. I am going to reread, reflect, and absorb this book again.”
—Priyanka Elangbam
“I perceived this book to be about racism and I couldn’t have been more wrong. It is more about the important role literature plays in perpetuating certain concepts such as racist beliefs in our society. Morrison’s analysis of fictional works by Hemingway and Harriet Beecher Stowe opened my eyes to new perspectives. A key takeaway for me from this book is that a single word choice can have huge ramifications, and it is important for us as readers to also engage in self-examination in how we perceive literature.”
—Vasudha Nukala
“As an African American woman, Toni Morrison holds a special place in my heart. Even though I found her work later in life, Morrison’s writings have always spoken to the truth of my existence, and her stories never fail to turn my focus inward and back onto my Blackness and womanhood. In The Origin of Others, Morrison explores themes of race, the desire to belong, ‘othering,’ and society’s preoccupation with color amongst other subjects in the span of six lectures. Morrison’s writing within these lectures speaks to current events while also touching on her novels. As always, the gift of Toni Morrison’s writings stayed with me well beyond me closing the collection.”
—Adira-Danique Philyaw
“The title accurately reflects the ideas that would unfold in the book. With acuity that is characteristic of her, Morrison reflects on the germination of the idea of race, the genesis of the vile phenomenon, racism that has firmly spread its roots in our society, and also on the concept of us versus ‘others’ that has created irreparable chasms in humankind.”
—Prerna Mishra
“I had only read Sula by Toni Morrison and I loved her then and there. When I saw that Morrison’s nonfiction work had been picked for November, I got curious to know what her personal thoughts would be like. I got to know that she is a prolific essayist, and there are many other essays that I’d like to explore one day. One of the quotes in the beginning gave way to my curiosity about her. And it made me sure that I picked this book for the right reason and Morrison can never fail anyone. The quote says, ‘Race is the classification of species, and we are the human race, period. Then what is this other thing—the hostility, the social racism, the Othering?’”
—Niyati Thakkar
“Morrison and many such essayists have called out the Otherization of a race and also gender. The idea of Othering a race because of their color and because they are different is a topic debated across nations. Morrison states one simple thing that what is the need for discrimination when humanity itself is a race? We humans are one entire species among thousands more which are still unidentified. Having read almost all of her work, one thing is similar about Morrison that she believes in digging and re-rooting her history. Her characters have always vouched for her. You cannot separate Africa from America because of their history. You cannot separate the twins.”
—Aayushi Jain
Thanks to Aayushi Jain, and the members of the Toni Morrison book club for talking to us. You can follow Aayushi on Instagram at @_penandpapers to learn more about the book club.
