Monmouth University’s 6th annual Toni Morrison Day was held on Feb. 21 in Pozycki Auditorium. Toni Morrison Day celebrates the acclaimed American author and editor in a day-long event hosted by Monmouth’s English Department. This year, the event’s focus was “The Power of Storytelling.”
This year, the event featured guest speaker Autumn Womack, an Associate Professor of African American Studies and English at Princeton University, and four other events throughout the day. At each event, attendees learned more about Morrison’s work and Black politics.
After Womack’s keynote speech, the lecture “Faculty and Student Composition Panel: ‘Intelligent Struggle is Needed…’: Writing for Racial and Linguistic Justice in the First-Year Composition Classroom” was hosted from 11:40-1:00. Beth Swanson, M.A., Lecturer in the Department of English, moderator the panel that featured presenters Courtney Werner, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of First Year Composition, Linda Sacks, MAT, Lecturer in the Department of English, and Jennifer Harpootlian, M.A., Lecturer.
Werner introduced the panel, discussing the first-year composition (FYC) dedication to challenging their students to learn and analyze topics they might never have been confronted with before. Werner also mentioned how each FYC syllabus includes a values and anti-racism statement so students can understand the core values of these classes.
Swanson discussed how her FYC class was tasked with watching Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” in an attempt to make her students analyze the film and the messages behind any movie, especially Peele’s psychological horror. The speech featured her FYC student, Jessica Mendez, who read her in-class paper regarding the themes of “Get Out” and how they relate to the current-day struggles of the Black community.
Sacks’s speech focused on her class assignment on climate change. Her FYC students had to write a paper on the topic using a social epistemic approach. Sacks read a paper from her student Emma Vilardi, who could not attend the event. Vilardi’s paper focused on climate privilege and how fast fashion contributes to the climate crisis.
Lastly, Harpoolian discussed how her class created partner presentations covering the topic of social justice through the music of different generations and genres. Her speech featured two of her FYC students, Kailyn Bloch and Kristen Sarnicola. The two presented their slideshow which compared the songs “Dear Mr. President” by Pink and “The Bigger Picture” by Lil Baby.
The next event at 1:15-2:15 was “Toni Morrison Book Discussion: The Origin of Others.” This event was moderated by Lynn Siracusa, Ed.D., Lecturer in the Department of English, with panelists Joe Torchia, M.A., Lecturer in the Department of English, and Noel Belinski, MAT, Lecturer in the Department of English.
The three discussed Morrison’s book “The Origin of Others,” by examining certain chapters. They also applied Morrison’s messages and stories to modern-day society and examined them from a more critical lens.
Siracusa started off the lecture by discussing the books forward by Ta’Nehisi Coates, discussing that Morrison is not just about race, but power.
Belinski discussed the first chapter of “The Origins of Others” by asking the audience for other examples of “The other” in different societies and media as well as discussing the sanitization of slave literature over time.
Lastly, Torchia talked about chapter two and how “othering” can bring power, value, and/or rank to the person doing it. Society values difference because it affords certain individuals power and rank.
The “Toni Morrison Day Digital Poster Contest and Toni Morrison Day Creative Writing Contest” was help next from 2:15-3:15. The winners of both of these events were announced by Kurt Wagner, University Librarian, and Zafira Demiri, senior English student and Editor-in-Chief of The Monmouth Review.
The Digital Poster Contest winners were Katharine Tito and Daniel Martin. Both won a certificate as well as their posters were hung in the library for the rest of the semester.
The winners of the Creative Writing Contest were Rachel Melillo, Carlee Migliorisi, and Kia Womack, who all had the chance to read their poetry to the audience.
This event also featured students from Asbury Park High School’s Project Right Now. This program connects Asbury Park High School students with mentors from Monmouth University to prepare these students for their college careers and future. Three students’ poems were read to the audience, titled, “Our World is on Fire,” No Way Out,” and “Scaredy Cat.”
The last event from 3:30-5:00 featured Monmouth’s artist-in-resident, John Vercher. Vercher read from his latest novel, “Devil is Fine,” and answered questions from Lauren DeFelice, Hana Vozzo, and Melaina Carrara from the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society E-board. During the Q&A,
Vercher spoke about how he has drawn inspiration from Morisson and her work. He referenced Morrison’s quote, “If there’s a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it,” and how he has used that to propel his career as an author.
Vercher also discussed his shift into satirical and absurd writing. He stated that it is “liberating” to write in this genre and that it’s “a space I’m going to stay with… [it is] fun to explore.”
With that, the Sigma Tau Delta E-board provided the audience with closing remarks and thanked their co-sponsors Intercultural Center, Office of the Provost, Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Leon Hess Business School, School of Social Work, Guggenheim Memorial Library, Monmouth Review, Sigma Tau Delta for another successful event celebrating art, literature, and the legacy of Toni Morrison.
