Nobel laureate Toni Morrison died Monday night at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, according to her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf. Morrison received a series of honours during her lifetime, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"Toni Morrison passed away peacefully last night surrounded by family and friends," the family announced.

"She was an extremely devoted mother, grandmother, and aunt who reveled in being with her family and friends. The consummate writer who treasured the written word, whether her own, her students or others, she read voraciously and was most at home when writing."

No cause of death was mentioned.

Read more: The strength and compassion of Toni Morrison

Barack Obama honored the writer with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 - the highest civilian honor in the US

Eternal gratitude

Tributes quickly poured in for Morrison as soon as news broke of her death.

"Her writing was a beautiful, meaningful challenge to our conscience and our moral imagination. What a gift to breathe the same air as her, if only for a while," former US President Barack Obama — who awarded Morrison the Presidential Medal of Freedom — wrote on Twitter.

"What a life, " wrote author Clint Smith on the woman whose books focused on black lives. "What a remarkable remarkable life. She not only changed the landscape of American writing, she changed the landscape of America."

"She wasn't just the queen of American letters," said bestselling author Ibram X Kendi. "She wrote America's letters. And whether we realize it or not, all Americans and all writers are indebted to Toni Morrison. Sleep well. We are eternally grateful for you. We are eternally grateful for America's letters."

Author Ibi Zoboi write: "For this I mourn. In white. A country's worth of libraries has fallen. She only lent us a few pages of all the deep wisdom she carried in her soul. She was a gift to this mess of a country, this mess of a world. She weaponized the English language with such grace."

Morrison was described by author Benjamin Dreyer as "eternally a giant of literature."

Literary legacy

Morrison's most famous novel, "Beloved" was inspired by a harrowing true story which Morrison first thought was "inaccessible to art." Her other works included "Playing in the Dark," a collection of essays; "Dreaming Emmet," a play about the slain teenager Emmett Till; and several children's books co-authored with her son, Slade Morrison, who died of cancer in 2010. In 2016, she wrote a highly cited New York essay about the election of US President Donald Trump, calling his ascension to the presidency a mark of what whites would settle for to hold on to their status.

Toni Morrison also wrote about the horrors of slavery and racism with compassion and fury, questioning any simple notions of good and evil.

New home for Black history Symbolic architecture The eight-storey museum, which showcases some of the darkest chapters of U.S. history, is the only bronze-colored building among a host of chalky marble monuments and museums on the National Mall, known as "America’s front lawn."

New home for Black history President Jefferson's slaves The exhibition on slavery and freedom features stones with the names of more than 600 slaves owned by Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of United States, underscoring his deep involvement with slavery.

New home for Black history Slavery and Freedom The exhibition on slavery and freedom in the basement is one of the highlights of the museum. A slave cabin (above) from the Point of Pines plantation is one of the artifacts on display which tell the story about one of the darkest chapter in US history.

New home for Black history Chuck Berry's musical legacy The museum also showcases the accomplishments of the black Americans. Rock-and- roll legend Chuck Berry's Cadillac is an eye catcher. The red beauty was donated by the musician and sits in the museum as the symbol of his musical legacy.

New home for Black history Shattering glass ceiling The story of first African-American president Barack Obama features prominently among the exhibitions showcasing the achievements of the community. It's symbolic that a museum dedicated to the African-American experience opens during his presidency.

New home for Black history Breaking barriers The African-American Museum honors the achievers from the African-American community who overcame several hurdles to bring laurels for the country.

New home for Black history Grand museum About two-thirds of the 400,000 square-foot museum is underground. There are several empty spaces across the museum where overwhelmed visitors can sit and reflect on the exhibits. Author: Ashutosh Pandey



kw/msh (AP, AFP)

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