Morrison originally gave this text as part of the William E. Massey Sr. Lectures in the History of American Civilization in 1990. Born in Lorain, Ohio, in 1931, Morrison was formerly a professor at Princeton. The author of many novels, she is best known for Beloved (1987), which won the Pulitzer Prize. In 1993, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. The recipient of numerous other awards, Morrison is recognized as an important voice in American literature. As a prominent black author, Morrison’s works highlight themes of identity, racial tension, and good versus evil, with a critique of America’s role in slavery at the fore.