BLACK BOOKS LIVE!

When one thinks of books and thinks of Toni, we all know who comes to mind- our Nobel laureate, Pulitzer prize winning grand dame, Toni Morrison. Yet in the world of literature, there are two 'Tonis', and today we are focusing on the equally important Toni Cade Bambara. As with last weeks episode, our featured writer was brought up in the fertile creative environment of Harlem New York. Bambara's approach to writing was shaped in this culturally rich community and later augmented with an extensive academic and professional pedigree. The result is a singular style of prose characterized by poetic streams of consciousness, non-linear plots, incredibly diverse dialogue that is unerringly tuned into the nuances of race, gender, age, and culture, as well as a commitment to connecting contemporary events to the fate of her characters. Bambara's first book, 'The Black Woman' published in 1971, was a groundbreaking anthology which featured women writers. Her collections of short fiction, 'Gorilla, My Love' and '