Toni Morrison, first black woman to win Nobel Prize for literature, dead at 88

Toni Morrison, author of the acclaimed novel Beloved, died Monday night at the age of 88.

An acclaimed storyteller, Morrison was born in Ohio in 1931 and is known for her essays and books exploring the culture and experience of African Americans. Her 1987 book Beloved garnered much acclaim and in 1993 she won the Nobel Prize for fiction, making her the first black woman to achieve the honor.

Over her decades-long career, Morrison penned 11 novels, multiple children’s books, two plays, and an opera. Among her most famous works include Paradise, The Bluest Eye, and Song of Solomon.