This compelling study explores the inextricable links between the Nobel laureate's aesthetic practice and her political vision, through an analysis of the key texts as well as her lesser-studied works, books for children, and most recent novels. * Offers provocative new insights and a refreshingly original contribution to the scholarship of one of the most important contemporary American writers * Analyzes the celebrated fiction of Morrison in relation to her critical writing about the process of reading and writing literature, the relationship between readers and writers, and the cultural contributions of African-American literature * Features extended analyses of Morrison's lesser-known works, most recent novels, and books for children as well as the key texts