We lost a literary great and true humanitarian when author and educator Toni Morrison passed away this week at the age of 88. Morrison was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Morrison's words were profound in all ways but, perhaps most importantly, her body of work spoke to a universal human need for freedom — to be a fully realized self in a world that tries to confine and restrict the otherwise limitless nature of human life. In a 1979 graduation speech at Barnard College she said, “The function of freedom is to free somebody else.” And she did just that. Through her literary work, cultural criticism and political insights, Morrison inspired entire generations to tell their stories and to write the books they most wanted to read. Sadly, Toni Morrison is no longer with us, but her legacy lives on. 

N4 President and Co-founder, Colum McCann, shared the citation he wrote for Morrison when she received the American Academy of Arts and Letters' highest honor, the 2019 Gold Medal in Fiction. McCann wrote, "Toni Morrison has pried opened the ribcage of a nation and afforded us the chance to wring out our complicated hearts." You can read his full remarks here.

The beauty of literature is that it transcends the life of its creator and blooms in the hearts and minds of readers who are moved by the work. In the blog post, “Five Everyday Exercises for Building Empathy," writer Minter Dial reminds us that reading literary fiction is one way to build empathy for yourself and others. Understanding the complex emotional lives of fictional characters leads to a deeper understanding of the people we encounter in our everyday lives. You can read more about the research behind this finding in the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest. 

This week we encourage you to build your empathy muscle by getting lost in a good book. Why not start with the beloved Toni Morrison! 
 

What does it mean to be a man in the twenty-first century? In Limerick, Narrative 4 Ireland’s “Boys’ Stories” partnered primary school boys with men in their community to explore questions and stereotypes about masculinity. According to N4 Ireland Regional Director James Lawlor, “There was so much wisdom in the room. The participants learned that there are many ways to be a man. We also learned about the importance of sharing our experiences.  Our stories remind us we are not alone.” Read the recap in The Limerick Post.

Share today. Change tomorrow.