Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Written in 1992, Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination by Toni Morrison is a work of literary criticism that focuses on how much of the western canon centers whiteness, to the exclusion of Black and Brown readers and writers, and how this limits the imaginative works of white writers.
At just over 100 pages, this is a short but dense essay, that is divided into three parts, each examining different works by white writers. It took me a minute to get what Morrison was laying down, and I plan to reread it and take notes as she packs so much knowledge and observations into such a short work.
Also, this book was a revelation to me, and I read it at exactly the right time. When I began writing, I eschewed “Black” stories and dialect, favoring universal (white) characters and modes of speech.
However, following the death of George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, Sandra Bland, and too many others to name, I’ve been leaning into my Blackness and pulling on the lived experiences of those around me.
Rather than swing from one extreme to the other, Morrison’s essay has showed me I don’t have to “write Black,” just write my truth by centering Blackness and not dumbing things down for those outside the culture.
What I loved about Morrison’s criticism was her unflinching honesty and lack of concern for the reactions of others. I also loved how she broke down things in each example she gave. Her prose was as precise as it was concise and was a pleasure to read.
While I was familiar with her fiction, this was the first piece of literary criticism from Morrison I’ve read, and I want to read more of her essays.
I can’t recommend this enough and given its low page-count it could easily be read in a day or two, making it the perfect weekend read.
If I had one criticism, I wished it were a bit longer, as I felt some topics were touched on without being fully explored. But otherwise, it was a great read. I give Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination 5.0 out of 5.0 stars.
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