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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Pieces’ of Toni Morrison go on display Friday

Dan Webster

So, finally, the Magic Lantern Theater will open the documentary film "Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am" on Friday.

I say "finally" because when I read a press release last month about the film's upcoming opening, I misread the date. I thought the film was going to be featured in a special Lantern event scheduled for June 25th. And I wrote a blog post to that effect.

Actually, though, the event is scheduled for Thursday, July 25th. Totally my bad.

Anyway, "Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am" indeed will open at the Lantern on Friday. And the special event, which will be hosted by two Gonzaga University professors — Jessica Maucione and Inga Laurent — indeed will take place on the 25th.

Anyway, here are some critical comments about the documentary itself, which was directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders:

Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com: "Morrison's legacy is more than just the titles on a reading list, and this documentary will likely help many viewers see just how monumental her accomplishments remain."

Melissa Vincent, Globe and Mail: "As with Morrison's books, 'The Pieces I Am' invites multiple, maybe even piecemeal, encores, because few writers wield the capacity to leave their readers with an evolving parting message with each subsequent reread."

Alan Zilberman, Washington Post: "It doesn't matter whether you've have read all - or any - of Morrison books. Either way, you may leave the theater wanting to pick one up on the way home."

I'll post a reminder about the special screening sometime next week.