“O Sugarman done fly away / Sugarman done gone / Sugarman cut across the sky / Sugarman gone home….”
That haunting spiritual graces the opening pages of Toni Morrison’s 1977 novel “Song of Solomon,” and if you can hear it in your head, you’ve got the tone of the book running through your veins already.
Morrison is one of the most important American novelists to ever put pen to paper. Dave Eggers — no slouch himself — put it thusly: “If any writer could be called our nation’s conscience, that writer would be Toni Morrison.”
Morrison’s already got a Nobel Prize to her name, but now, she’ll receive one of art’s highest honors: the Edward MacDowell Medal.
If you’ve never read any of Morrison’s work, now is the time to change that. “Song of Solomon” has netted the most accolades, and it’s a must-read, but her novels written before and after that opus are important as well. And even if you’re familiar with her catalogue, what better time than now to revisit it?
And if you’re set on sowing some seeds of change this week, consider supporting ConVal science teacher Dana Wood’s quest to build a greener future. Wood needs your vote to up her odds at receiving a Seeds of Change grant. The money – up to $20,000 is up for grabs – would go to building a hoop house to create a year-round facility for the school’s sustainable agriculture program. That would keep ConVal kids farming real produce destined for food pantries and even the school cafeteria!
Visit bit.ly/convalfarm to vote. The polls are open until April 20, and you can vote once per day, if you are so inclined.