Toni Morrison: ‘I regret everything’ (2015 interview)

Nobel Prize-winning writer Toni Morrison discusses her novel, "God Help the Child." At 84, she looks back on her life and says she regrets everything. "It's not profound regret," she says. "It's just a wiping up of tiny little messes that you didn't recognize as mess when they were going on."
Originally broadcast April 20, 2015.
NOTE: Captions are auto-generated by KZbin.
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[@pizzadrugmule4207]

Lol the way she turned that question around on the interviewer made me laugh out loud. God I love Toni. Her intellect is so beyond everyone that interviews her.

[@gifted14sho]

The unbreakable mind and spirit of Toni Morrison is inspiring!

[@FrankLange-wz5bd]

Hello, I hope you're safe over there? I hope this year brings happiness, prosperity, love 💚 , and peace all over the world 🌏. I would love us to be good friends in honesty and in trust so as time goes on it will bring something great for us in the future, hope you don't mind? I'm Frank Lange from Brooklyn New York, where are you from if I may ask?

[@oneseeker2]

Who,are you committing to.

[@SDP408]

​@@oneseeker2Maybe an online romance scammer looking for his next victim!

[@MyRealtor.Ranisha]

Hi I'm a late bloomer. Can you tell me where to begin. I'm not a fan and it's not to hate. It's to relate. I relate more to James Baldwin

[@diane9073]

So interesting how this interviewer glosses over the traumatization of Morrison’s dad, but could stick like glue to his “hatred” ( I think more it is fear that is carried, and rightfully so) of so called “whites” as though there is no basis…This happens way too often…God bless Ms. Morrison… gifted…poised…classy…she often outclassed those who interviewed her. She is missed…needed as stated earlier/below.

[@paulamitchell1653]

Ms. Morrison speaks like an Aunt who has stand the test of time.❤

[@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec]

It’s not the hatred it’s the prejudice

[@umayrh]

I have noticed other white interviewer of Morrison do something similar. She handles it with such grace, but inside I seethe at their presumption.

[@hayleyanna2625]

Such a beautiful person. Excellent writer. She has left us so much. Such an important human being. ❤️🌹

[@atomatoface]

Oh how we miss her, need her😢

[@williamjbrowne3594]

“It’s hard to make peace with your body when you feel like you’re under attack”! Am I the only one that got the question and message that was thrown at Toni Morrison from the interviewer? 😲

[@apainterlyhome]

no. I hope we all hear it. It's so disheartening.

[@gloriamargolis581]

Toni thank God you have a great intellect and imagination to come up with some beautiful thoughtful books🙏 I’m a artist and shortly going to do a portrait of you, yet I knew nothing about you so I looked you up and here I am listening to some of your interviews on your books ❤😊🫶🙏. Thank you Toni for your heart and sharing your writings 🙏

[@denisedecarlo9311]

She is a beautiful person, so honest, strong and sweet...lovely

[@mrmckraken4893]

Throughout my life, I never understood folks who use the term, "No Regrets.' How does one live a full life devoid of any form of regret?

[@dameanvil]

00:39 📖 Toni Morrison's novel "God Help the Child" explores childhood wounds and their lasting impact into adulthood. 04:18 🎨 Morrison discusses the social construct of skin color and its impact, emphasizing its role in privileging certain shades closer to whiteness. 05:38 🎓 Morrison reflects on color preference within the African-American community, noting her awareness of it during her college years. 07:21 💥 Morrison recounts a childhood incident where her father confronted a perceived threat, reflecting on the impact of racial trauma. 10:18 🔥 Morrison discusses how childhood traumas can linger into adulthood, impacting self-reflection and regret. 14:58 🤔 Morrison reflects on her parenting, expressing regret and constant self-critique in hindsight. 16:50 🤯 Morrison highlights the mental struggle of negative reflection and boredom in later life, contrasting it with youthful optimism. 22:17 ✍ Writing serves as a refuge for Morrison, providing control and focus amidst physical and mental challenges. 23:12 🔥 Morrison draws from personal experience of a house fire, reflecting on the unexpected and sneaky nature of its beginnings. 26:37 🏠 Morrison mourns sentimental losses in a house fire, highlighting the significance of objects and memories. 28:11 📝 Names carry weight in Morrison's fiction, echoing historical legacies of naming and identity within the Black community. 30:14 📚 Toni Morrison discusses the personal significance of names, reflecting on her own experiences with different names throughout her life. 32:14 💒 Morrison talks about her baptism and the choice of Saint Anthony of Padua as her baptismal name. 33:23 📖 Morrison discusses her familiarity with the Bible, influenced by her mother's religious background and her own later studies. 35:38 🎶 Morrison reminisces about her mother's beautiful singing voice and its impact on her upbringing. 37:31 📻 Morrison reflects on how her childhood exposure to radio storytelling and her mother's singing influenced the musicality of her writing. 39:32 🖋 Morrison explains that she began writing in her late 30s after joining a group of faculty and writers, motivated by the desire to continue attending their meetings.

[@AJSmith-ik2lh]

Many thanks for this!

[@homodeus8713]

Interviewer did not respond to the graphic and powerful image of Toni Morrison’s father as a child watching “businessmen not vagrants” lynched. That was horrific and traumatic but she couldn’t empathise with that - she didn’t let it sink in.

[@klieglamp]

I could not agree more . . . utterly disappointing. Arrogant and ignorant at the same time.

[@eduardohope4909]

Terry Gross, the interviewer, is not known to be non-responsive to such a graphically powerful image. I think the 'Fresh Air' program did the interview a disservice by chopping up this interview. VERY unfortunate impression!

[@GoogleUser-wy2vv]

Rarely ever a heartfelt response to our trauma…no reaction or false surprise or anger that we mentioned it.

[@AprilMartinChartrandMS]

I noticed that... it is Denial, deflect, Erase, Gaslight....someone else Eugenics based historical trauma. The interviewer was irritating and did not want to address a real fact of Jim Crow trauma that African Diasporan people had to face daily.

[@roxiet7016]

⁠​⁠@@GoogleUser-wy2vv Absolutely.. they have to stay on racist code!!. After all racism is institutionalized and shield them for feeling and acknowledging this demented ~unjust ~ morbid 🇺🇸 ISA. They are to weak ~ defensive~ running from their horrible .. horrific history they perpetrated!.. to let the truth of their Numerous sins stand!. Horrible interviewer typical white racist stance…🤬 Ashe’

[@lightuponlight6727]

This interview is something else. lol God bless Ms Morrison... and Terry Gross too.

[@Serenghettiii]

I love that she didn't let her phase, distract, upset, or make her feel negatively about herself. She owns herself good and bad this interviewer is as horrible as she is, but is a blessing because she is revealing how incredibly emotionally intelligent, graceful, and kind Toni Morrison is. It's a testimony to life that in the face of adversity, we can remain true to ourselves. This is amazing.

[@aphronium7688]

Toni Morrison 🙌🌸🌼🌸🌼 You will forever be a beacon of light🙏

[@SheenaOMurray]

Imagine having Toni Morrison in front of you and you think to ask her if she had bed bugs…??

[@diane9073]

Imagine? I can’t.

[@homodeus8713]

These people just cannot help themselves.

[@kingsleycasper]

“The woman who was born with dark skin and grows into being very very beautiful” who decided this woman was the right choice to interview the world’s greatest living author at the time? Like come on now

[@mizrelmizrel]

🤷🏾🤦🏾‍♀️

[@bethanyjohnson8222]

Absolutely unhinged

[@knicksfule]

Greatest American Thinker

[@paulamitchell1653]

Ms. Morrison reminds me of my aunts just matter of fact easy women to talk to…my mother was high yellow and my father was blue black-- who in their right mind would make a difference between the two they were my parents and I loved them…so much division within our cultures…❤❤❤

[@DLFfitness1]

Health is wealth. Take care of your mental and physical health.

[@Omoloya1]

"This is my story, this is my song." Oh, my God.

[@regina7494]

Your interview question were disrespectful. Miss Morrison handled them

[@bethanyjohnson8222]

Dear God. This interviewer.

[@justtrust426]

"If it was you and a black man was coming up the stairs after a little white girl and the white father threw the Black man down that wouldn't disturb you.: I am trying to think that through." The slow to respond back most telling. The interviewer said she did not see a lot of violence growing up well that must be nice: Sadly, Black children see violence and in so many ways, all too early in their lives, and often it is done by many that are supposed to protect and defend them for example harassment by the police, that are in many schools,( school to prison pipeline) assaults on their well being in schools by teachers since Black children are disciplined more often and harsher than their white peers, sometime just for wearing their hair in braids, to their surroundings from underfunded schools ( mold) , housing, higher rates of environmental pollution, living perhaps in a food dessert, drinking unsafe water( Flint Michigan/Jackson Mississippi) not having enough green safe places to play and the list goes on. If seeing a man thrown down the stairs and tricycle along with him was the only "violence" a Black child had to witness I am sure that child would not be scarred from that childhood event.

[@avi2125]

I still respect Terri Gross, but in one swift move Toni Morrison unsettled among the best in the field and her presumed world. Toni is razor sharp, no nonsense. Had the privilege of seeing her in person and boy she panders to nobody!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@laurrenjones9520]

This interviewer annoyed me

[@SheenaOMurray]

Same

[@maciaeli]

I was so uncomfortable by a certain “condescending” tone and angle throughout the entire interview-It unfortunately felt as if her naivety in most questions came from an ethnocentric point of view (at times just ignorant), which at least to me felt somewhat racist at times. Toni navigated this so gracefully as she always did. She made both laugh and made the interview bearable.

[@myfemalepersuasion]

me too. she was horrible at following up on Ms Morrison's responses because she couldn't think outside the box.

[@Vetiver386]

@@maciaeli Oh but she brought her ALLLL the way together @ 10:34 with 'Well. If it was YOU...' YES, Mother Toni🤨

[@Vetiver386]

HORRIBLY edited. Whenever she got TOO profound...they chopped it and inserted an unrelated question, smh

[@watanogetenemy5255]

what was the interviewer's problem omg..

[@cheriejones9671]

The interviewer was horrid

[@thomasblethyn9639]

37:39 This line of question reminds of hearing this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXm0nHiagaxonsU

[@15nanoseconds]

A journalist, sharp stick and mother bear walk into a bar...

[@mizrelmizrel]

Gross, your interview was GROSS. How dare you interview Miss Morrison in this manner 🙄

[@cheriejones9671]

Toni should have walked off

[@NicksMuses]

IDK who this interviewer is but she is horrible. I mean the worse. She seems to try to get Auntie to conform to her narrative instead of listening to what is being said. She needs to stick to interviewing people about food or clothes or anything that doesn’t need a human emotion.

[@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec]

A journalist is supposed to be critical

[@danceatbacchanalia]

I hate to be rude but has this interviewer learned nothing from life let alone her apparent career in media and communication? Jeez.

[@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec]

She’s asking critical questions and because she isn’t groveling before your idol she knows “nothing”.

[@ashpiredliving]

You're a horrible interviewer

[@rosalynjolly2565]

Dark skin mother do the same to light skin children wanted the man not the kids shameful sometime

[@myfemalepersuasion]

sticking so staunchly to the list of questions makes this interview choppy.