C O N V E R S A T I O N Well, that day that I spent with Toni Morrison, quite liked me. We went shoe shopping; she’s was the best day of my whole life. This isn’t got a shoe fetish. We went and looked at what you’re asking, but just for your inforfixtures for her new bathroom, and then she mation as a person who has a crush on Toni asked me to stay for dinner, after we’d had Morrison, I had the biggest crush on Toni this long lunch, and I said, “You know, I’m goMorrison ever. I decided before that interview ing to go, because you’ve been too generous, that I’d re-read all of her books and read the and this has been like the greatest day of my new one, which at that time was Love, twice. whole life, and I’m just going to go,” and she I was completely sleep deprived; I decided I said, “Well, you know, honestly, the person wasn’t going to write any questions because that’s coming to dinner I don’t really like, so I wanted it to be an organic conversation. if you stay it will be fun.” And I’m like, “Okay, Then, on the cab ride to her apartment, I was don’t twist my arm.” So I stayed for dinner, like, “Dear God! What was and I’ve just got to say it I thinking? I didn’t write was the best day of my down any questions!” whole life. And then, she That was such a good invited me to her 75th That day of interviewing idea, until I was in the birthday party, which Toni Morrison and her cab. Then I got there, and had a lot of very fancy I was supposed to be with understanding that I really people at it—including her from ten to twelve, Bill Clinton and Morgan understood her work on a and the second I met really deep level, was, I believe, Freeman—and that was her, she just completely super-fun too. But really, what made her want me to put me at ease. She was that day of interviewmost elegant, articulate, hang out with her all day, was ing her and her underfunny. These sentences standing that I really really the most gratifying day just come out of her understood her work on mouth—perfectly formed. of my life. a really deep level, was, I believe, what made her Every time I see her, I want me to hang out with just think “wise.” She is her all day, was really the most gratifying day the wisest person I have ever seen. of my life. She’s better than you could even imagine in your wildest dreams of her perfecI’ve had the good fortune to meet a handful tion. She laughs at herself—she’s super-selfof my heroes and I have to say, most of them possessed, but she’s not at all ego-maniacal. have been even better than my absurd expectations of them, but no one more so than her. I didn’t ask any Waltzing the Cat quesI was supposed to be with her till noon, and tions, but I know that one is one of your we concluded that interview at noon. (There’s favorites. a much longer version of that interview, by the way, in a book of interviews with Toni MorIt is, that’s my sleeper book. But at the rison. It’s much better than the Oprah version, moment, Contents May Have Shifted is my in which I was so limited). And then she’s like, favorite. I love Waltzing the Cat—it was kind “what are you doing right now?” and I said, of like my problem child—it was really hard “Oh, nothing, I just came to New York to do to get it published and then it didn’t sell very this,” and she said, “Well, I’m taking you to well compared to the other books. It’s like lunch.” She kept me around all day. She really loving the kid with the speech impediment;
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