ABSTRACT
Toni Morrison’s identity as an important voice of American society is familiar to many, yet different from that of anyone preceding her in what less and less often is called the ‘world of letters’. She holds a place similar to that of Adrienne Rich, but Morrison’s literature has had a greater role in popular culture than Rich’s poetry has had; generally, Morrison is listened to with less anxiety (though not necessarily with more receptivity) among the majority than Rich is. This situation, which emerged for me through discussions with students who responded to the literature and essays of both authors, is related to the political orientation of the two authors: students are more ready to discuss social change through race than through homophobia.
