‘Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am’ Clip – Legendary Nobel Prize Writer Shares Meaning Of Her Name In Sundance Docu

EXCLUSIVE: You may know her as Toni Morrison, but in this exclusive clip from the Sundance documentary Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, the prolific novelist, professor, and Nobel prize-winning writer unpacks the history and meaning of her birth name: Chloe Wofford.

Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, (Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart, The Black List, The Out List, The Latino List), Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am serves up an intimate meditation on the life and works of the titular storyteller. From her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio to ‘70s-era book tours with Mohammed Ali, from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room, Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature.

Morrison was inspired to write because no one took a “little black girl” seriously. In the docu, she reflects on her lifelong deconstruction of the master narrative. Woven together with a rich collection of art, history, literature and personality, the film includes discussions about her many critically acclaimed works, including celebrated novels The Bluest Eye, Sula and Song of Solomon. She also talks about her role as an editor of iconic African-American literature and her time teaching at Princeton University. The documentary puts a spotlight on one of the most iconic writers of our time.

The film also features interviews with Hilton Als, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez, and Oprah Winfrey. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is set to make its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 27 in the Documentary Premieres section.

Check out the poster for the film below.