Baby Suggs, holy, Toni Morrison, divine…

Seeing my dear divinity school Profe David Carrasco yesterday in Princeton for the most amazing celebration of retiring Professor Albert Raboteau, it hit me I never posted about another amazing gathering, the profoundly moving Toni Morrison celebration Carrasco hosted and invited me to participate in last December at Harvard Divinity School. I was given the incredible honor of reciting and reflecting on the sermon of Baby Suggs, holy at the Clearing for the final session of a semester long exploration of her work in anticipation of her Ingersoll lecture on “Goodness: Altruism and the Literary Imagination.” The series called, “Have Mercy: The Religious Dimensions of the Writings of Toni Morrison” culminated in an afternoon panel, Dec 7, on the sermons in her work…check out the breathtaking presentations by doctoral candidate, Jay Williams, Prof Stephanie Paulsell and Prof Mara Willard…then dig the dazzling q and a with Madame Morrison herself! It was just a feast of glory! Deep deep bow to Profe C for including me.

Here are the links to both Ms. Morrison’s evening lecture: http://www.hds.harvard.edu/multimedia/video/goodness-altruism-and-the-literary-imagination

and our afternoon panel: http://hds.harvard.edu/news/2012/12/11/have-mercy-religious-dimensions-writings-toni-morrison#