25 Toni Morrison Quotes on Writing, Love, and Life To Inspire You Today

Born as Chloe Ardelia Wofford, Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist famous for her rich use of language and unforgettable African-American characters.

From her first novel, “The Bluest Eye”, she continued penning great works such as “Sula”, “Song of Solomon”, and the critically-acclaimed “Beloved”.

She also taught at Princeton University and held workshops for aspiring writers.

Growing up in Lorain, Ohio, Morrison’s parents had instilled a deep sense of heritage and language in their daughter through songs and stories.

Despite being surrounded by racism, her family held their head high and showed her at a young age, that you can keep your integrity regardless of how people tried to put you down.

Morrison remains to this day as one of the most influential writers of our time.

Many people look to her works and lectures for inspiration or empowerment.

Learn from her wisdom and strength through these timeless Toni Morrison quotes collected just for you.

Don’t forget to also read our collection of Ernest Hemingway quotes.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Check out more inspirational quotes on our motivational quotes category page.

Best Toni Morrison Quotes About Writing, Love and Life

1. “You are your best thing.” – Toni Morrison

2. “The function of freedom is to free someone else.” – Toni Morrison

3. “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” – Toni Morrison

You will also enjoy our article on quotes about reading.

4. “If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it.” – Toni Morrison

5. “Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” – Toni Morrison

6. “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” – Toni Morrison

7. “Love is or it ain’t. Thin love ain’t love at all.” – Toni Morrison

8. “You can’t own a human being. You can’t lose what you don’t own.” – Toni Morrison

9. “As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think.” – Toni Morrison

10. “What difference do it make if the thing you scared of is real or not?” – Toni Morrison

Also check out these inspirational writing quotes that will get you writing your story.

Inspiring Toni Morrison Quotes about Love

11. “Make up a story…For our sake and yours forget your name in the street; tell us what the world has been to you in the dark places and in the light.” – Toni Morrison

12. “Don’t tell us what to believe, what to fear. Show us belief’s wide skirt and the stitch that unravels fear’s caul.” – Toni Morrison

13. “Could you really love somebody who was absolutely nobody without you? You really want somebody like that? Somebody who falls apart when you walk out the door? You don’t, do you?” – Toni Morrison

14. “Did you ever see the way the clouds love a mountain? They circle all around it; sometimes you can’t even see the mountain for the clouds. But you know what? You go up top and what do you see? His head. The clouds never cover the head. His head pokes through, because the clouds let him; they don’t wrap him up. They let him keep his head up high, free, with nothing to hide him or bind him.” – Toni Morrison

15. “Love is divine only and difficult always. If you think it is easy you are a fool. If you think it is natural you are blind.” – Toni Morrison

16. “You’re turning over your whole life to him. Your whole life, girl. And if it means so little to you that you can just give it away, hand it to him, then why should it mean any more to him? He can’t value you more than you value yourself.” – Toni Morrison

17. “Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe.” – Toni Morrison

18. “There is a loneliness that can be rocked. Arms crossed, knees drawn up, holding, holding on, this motion, unlike a ship’s, smooths and contains the rocker. It’s an inside kind–wrapped tight like skin.” – Toni Morrison

19. “Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another – physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought.” – Toni Morrison

20. “Don’t ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it.” – Toni Morrison

21. “And I am all the things I have ever loved: scuppernong wine, cool baptisms in silent water, dream books and number playing.” – Toni Morrison

22. “She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.” – Toni Morrison

23. “Anything dead coming back to life hurts.” – Toni Morrison

24. “Let me tell you something. A man ain’t a goddamn ax. Chopping, hacking, busting every goddamn minute of the day. Things get to him. Things he can’t chop down because they’re inside.” – Toni Morrison

25. “To get to a place where you could love anything you chose – not to need permission for desire – well now that was freedom.” – Toni Morrison

Don’t forget to also read these quotes from Margaret Mead challenging societal stereotypes.

Which of these Toni Morrison quotes is your favorite?

Toni Morrison’s amazing use of language can make even a non-reader love books.

Having explored different types of writings (she also penned some children’s books), she is constantly changing and evolving in her field.

Although her books have sold millions of copies around the world, she maintains that:

“…everything I’ve ever done, in the writing world, has been to expand articulation, rather than to close it, to open doors, sometimes, not even closing the book – leaving the endings open for reinterpretation, re-visitation, a little ambiguity.”

Her humbleness and solid values has kept her going strong through difficulties she faced in her life.

If you enjoyed these Toni Morrison quotes – or have been inspired by them – please don’t forget to share.

Let someone else be moved by the beauty of her words today!