The Dancing Mind: Speech upon Acceptance of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished C ontribution to American Letters

Toni Morrison gave two unrelated anecdotes, but tied them together at the end of the speech. The first was a story of a young man from an affluent family. He grew up being forced to read certain book and participate in certain activities, and when he was finally out of school, he had no inclination to ever read another book. The only experience of reading he had was for an assignment and for a grade, and never for pleasure. The second story was of a woman writer and approached her, telling Morrison of the difficulty of writing honest literature while living in a country that would suppress literature.

The only connection between the two is that the both deal with books, one from the reader's perspective, the other from the author's. Morrison combines these two into a brief discussion on the necessity of reading and writing, and the enjoyment that can be found from each, and how these are necessary despite (or perhaps, because) of how much of an industry books has become.

This is such a short speech that it won't take up much time to read it, and I think I heard the cadences of Morrison's speaking voice while reading the text. I would imagine that hearing Morrison give the speech would be a superior experience over reading it, but I'm glad that I read it. This is an acceptance speech, but it gives an insight into the mind of Toni Morrison.

A MANDATE FOR A NEW PEACE
Acceptance speeches can be dull affairs. Those in attendance are expected to politely tolerate the honorer's remarks as they drone on and on about nothing. Such is not the case with Toni Morrison's acceptance speech for the National Book Foundation Medal. Ms Morrison's words are powerful, poignant and challenging. What she has to say is worth our attention and action.

Entitled, "The Dancing Mind", Toni Morrison's brief speech points out two dangerous environments that readers and writers
face in today's world. The first is the attitude that reading is a means to an end (merely for obtaining a trophy) and the second, that writing is a subversive activity that needs to be suppressed. She shares with us two anecdotes which illustrate these negative environments and issues a challenge to the Book World.

Morrison challenges the book industry to become a conduit of dispensing knowledge to both the entitled and dispossessed. In doing so minds will be able to engage one another. She also puts out the call for the industry to foster a supportive environment for the writer free of private, governmental or cultural controls. Developing such a peace is one in which all of those in the book business should aspire.

Her words forces us to move beyond reading for the purpose of taking a test or because it is a class assignment. We're sensitized to the fact that many writers are under oppressive regimes. A written word from them would mean a death sentence. Our reading and writing is a serious business and we who engage in the free sharing of thought need to take it seriously.

Although this slim volume is only seventeen pages it is well worth having in your collection of Morrison's works. It is also a great gift book for those who want to engage their dancing minds.

Insights from a major voice in U.S. literature
"The Dancing Mind" (book version) contains the text of a speech delivered by Toni Morrison in 1996, when she accepted the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. While the speech seems a bit short to justify publication as an independent book (the text of the speech does not even take up 11 pages), this is still an admirable work by a great writer.

Morrison's topics in this speech are the joys and struggles of the reading/writing life. She recalls two very different individuals. The first is a student from a privileged background who had never learned "to be alone with a book he was not assigned to read, a book on which there was no test," and who had to force himself to develop this skill. The second individual is a woman living in a country where women who write "against the grain" face terrible persecution.

Ultimately, Morrison celebrates the efforts of the book world to make it possible for all "to experience one's mind dancing with another's" through the act of reading. This small book is a must for admirers of Morrison, and should be of value to all who have a commitment to the interlocking worlds of reading and writing.