Prairie View A&M University proudly announces the appointment of Attica Locke as its 2023-2024 Writer-in-Residence for the Toni Morrison Writing Program. Locke, a distinguished American fiction author and acclaimed writer-producer for television and film, will be formally introduced on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at 11 a.m. in PVAMU’s Don K. Clark Building Auditorium.
Locke is renowned for her award-winning literary works, including “The Exile’s Lament” and her critically acclaimed debut novel, “Black Water Rising.” Locke, whose passion for literature was profoundly shaped by Toni Morrison’s timeless novel “Beloved” expressed the transformative impact of the novel on her life in an interview this year, saying, “It broke something wide open in me, showed me that literature could do things I hadn’t yet imagined.” This connection between Locke and Morrison’s legacy underscores the significance of her role as the Writer-in-Residence for the program.
Dr. Emma Joahanne Thomas-Smith, provost emerita, who oversees the Toni Morrison Writing Program at PVAMU, described the far-reaching impact of Locke’s literary contribution. “Having Attica Locke as our 2023-2024 Toni Morrison Writing Program Writer-in-Residence is a winner for our students. She is a storyteller’s storyteller and so well versed in each aspect of writing. I am especially impressed with her adaptation of fiction for television and film production.”
Toni Morrison was a prolific essayist, book editor, college professor, and the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The writing program named in her honor was established under the visionary leadership of former President Ruth J. Simmons in honor of the esteemed writer.
