{"id":22432,"date":"2023-11-10T11:15:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T16:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/?page_id=22432"},"modified":"2026-02-16T15:09:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T20:09:40","slug":"toni-morrison-day","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/toni-morrison-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Toni Morrison Day 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This Year\u2019s Theme: Toni Morrison: A Legacy Across Generations<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Toni Morrison Day is presented annually by the English Department. We are grateful to this year’s co-sponsors: the Intercultural Center at Monmouth University, the Office of the Provost, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Business, The Guggenheim Memorial Library, the Monmouth Review, and Sigma Tau Delta.<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Download Event Flyer<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Program Schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Download Printable Schedule<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 (Virtual<\/a>)<\/h3>\n\n

7:30 p.m.: Tuesday Night Book Club featuring Toni Morrison’s Sula<\/em><\/h4>\n\n
Moderated by Ken Womack, Ph.D.<\/h5>\n\n

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 (English Department Lounge<\/a>)<\/h3>\n\n

3:00-4:00 p.m.: Book Club hosted by Sigma Tau Delta featuring Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye<\/em><\/h4>\n\n
Moderated by Professor Deanna Venezio<\/h5>\n\n\n
\"Sigma<\/figure>\n\n\n

Friday, February 20, 2026 (Pozycki Auditorium<\/a>)<\/h3>\n\n

10:05-11:25 a.m.: Keynote Speaker, Piper Kendrix Williams, Ph.D.<\/h3>\n\n

11:40 a.m.-1:00 p.m.: Student Panel: \u201cToni and Slade Morrison\u2019s Picture Books,\u201d
presented by English 342: Children\u2019s and Young Adult Literature<\/h3>\n\n\n

Moderator: Dr. Brittany Biesiada<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presenters: Dr. Biesiada and students from EN-342<\/p>\n\n\n

1:15-2:15 p.m.: Toni Morrison Book Discussion: Please, Louise<\/em> by Toni Morrison and Slade Morrison (no reading preparation needed beforehand)<\/h3>\n\n\n

Moderators: Dr. Brittany Biesiada and Dr. Lynn Kraemer-Siracusa<\/p>\n\n\n

2:15-3:15 p.m.: Toni Morrison Day Digital Poster Contest and Creative Writing Contest<\/h3>\n\n\n

Winners will be announced by Kurt Wagner, University Librarian<\/p>\n\n\n

3:15-4:00 p.m.: Open Mic: \u201cThis is the Time When Artists Go to Work: Heeding
Morrison’s Call\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n

Co-hosted by Sigma Tau Delta and The Monmouth Review<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Friday, February 20, 2026 (Library 101<\/a>)<\/h3>\n\n

4:30 p.m.: Children’s Story Time: Toni and Slade Morrison’s Please, Louise.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n

Hosted by the Monmouth University Library, stories read by Monmouth students<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Creative Writing Contest<\/h3>\n\n\n

Organized and Sponsored by the Monmouth Review<\/em> Club<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s theme is Toni Morrison: A Legacy Across Generations.<\/em> We invite submissions that engage with this theme along with other aspects of Toni Morrison\u2019s work and legacy, including but not limited to social justice, civil rights, Black history, race, gender, diversity, and inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eligibility:<\/strong> Contest open to all Monmouth University students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deadline: <\/strong>Dec. 12, 2025<\/s> Deadline extended to January 23, 2026!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submit<\/strong>: Up to three poems (maximum six pages total) or two prose pieces, fiction or non-fiction (maximum eight pages each, double-spaced, Times New Roman). No cover letter necessary. Type your name only at the top of the first page. You may submit work in both categories (prose and poetry).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upload the submission(s)<\/strong> in the Toni Morrison Day 2026 Creative Writing Contest folder in the Monmouth Review<\/em> on eCampus. Note: The Monmouth Review<\/em> \u2018e-course\u2019 might be unpinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only original, previously unpublished poems or prose pieces may be submitted. Submit all work in one file, as a Word document (.docx). Submissions will be evaluated by members of the Monmouth Review<\/em> editorial board; Monmouth Review<\/em> club members who are not on the evaluation committee are welcome to submit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The winners will be notified by Feb. 16 and will be invited to present their work during Toni Morrison Day on Feb. 20, 2026. Additionally, winners will receive a $75 gift card, and their work will be published in the 2026 issue of the Monmouth Review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information, please review the extensive \u201cToni Morrison Day: Informative Reference Guide\u201d in the Monmouth Review eCampus (under \u201cCourse Materials\u201d) before emailing Editor-in-Chief Zafira Demiri s1349407@monmouth.edu<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Digital Poster Competition<\/h3>\n\n\n

Sponsored by the Guggenheim Memorial Library<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s theme is Toni Morrison: A Legacy Across Generations.<\/em><\/em> We invite submissions that engage with this theme along with other aspects of Toni Morrison\u2019s work and legacy, including but not limited to social justice, civil rights, Black history, race, gender, diversity, and inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eligibility:<\/strong> Contest open to all full-time students at Monmouth University. All entries should be submitted on an individual basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entry Limit: <\/strong>One poster per student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deadline:<\/strong> Contest opens Nov. 21, 2025<\/strong>. Entries must be submitted by Friday, Feb. 6, 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Requirements:<\/strong> Design a digital poster representing the theme \u201cToni Morrison: A Legacy Across Generations\u201d <\/strong>in celebration of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison\u2019s birthday. The posters may engage with any aspect of Toni Morrison\u2019s work and legacy, including issues related to social justice, civil rights, African American history, race, gender, diversity, and inclusion. Only original work is allowed. If you have a photograph (or images) as part of your poster, please confirm that either you took the photograph or you have obtained legal rights to use the photos\/images. Students may access a collection of resources, including past poster submissions, on The Monmouth Review <\/em>eCampus site.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poster designs should contain: <\/strong>The name of the event (Toni Morrison Day) and the date: February 20, 2026. *Also include a small credit line with the student\u2019s name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poster Size: <\/strong>The poster can be horizontal or vertical, measuring 48\u2033 x 36\u2033 (ratio of 4:3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media<\/strong>: Any mixed media suitable for reproduction as a poster is allowed, including computer-generated graphics. All posters must be original art. No trademarked or copyrighted images or phrases should be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submission Format:<\/strong> Digital designs should be submitted as a 300 dpi JPG or PDF. A traditional painting or drawing should be scanned and sent as a 300 dpi JPG or PDF to tonimorrisonday@monmouth.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winners: <\/strong>Three winners will be chosen by a panel of judges (representatives from the English department\u2019s committee and the Library). The winners will be notified on February 13, 2026 and announced on February 20, 2026<\/strong>. The three winning posters will each receive a $75 gift card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Display and Rights: <\/strong>The winning poster will be displayed at the University Library AND reproduced on the official Toni Morrison Day webpage. The Department\/University will use the poster in whole for display or promotion only. All posters will, however, remain the property of the creator. *Entry in the contest constitutes full permission to publish names and photos of winners and contestants without further compensation. The determination of eligibility of entries and any interpretation of these rules is at the sole discretion of the TMD committee and shall be final and binding upon all entrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Year\u2019s Theme: Toni Morrison: A Legacy Across Generations Toni Morrison Day is presented annually by the English Department. We are grateful to this year’s co-sponsors: the Intercultural Center at Monmouth University, the Office of the Provost, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Business, The Guggenheim Memorial Library, the Monmouth Review, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":832,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mu_eop_enabled":false,"_mu_eop_name":"","_mu_eop_name_override":false,"_mu_eop_description":"","_mu_eop_description_override":false,"_mu_eop_url":"","_mu_eop_url_override":false,"_mu_eop_program_type":"","_mu_eop_educational_credential":"","_mu_eop_time_to_complete":"","_mu_eop_number_of_credits":"","_mu_eop_occupational_category":"","_mu_eop_occupational_category_code":"","_mu_eop_program_prerequisites":"","_mu_eop_application_deadline":"","_mu_eop_application_start_date":"","_mu_eop_start_date":"","_mu_eop_end_date":"","_mu_eop_day_of_week":"","_mu_eop_time_of_day":"","_mu_eop_educational_program_mode":"","_mu_eop_financial_aid_eligible":"","_mu_eop_maximum_enrollment":"","_mu_eop_offers_price":"","_mu_eop_offers_currency":"USD","_mu_eop_offers_price_per":"","_mu_eop_offers_preset":"","_mu_eop_salary_upon_completion":"","_mu_eop_training_salary":"","_mu_eop_recognized_by_name":"","_mu_eop_recognized_by_url":"","_mu_eop_concentrations":"","_mu_eop_identifier_cip":"","_mu_eop_provider_name":"","_mu_eop_provider_name_override":false,"_mu_eop_provider_url":"","_mu_eop_provider_address":"","_mu_eop_provider_city":"","_mu_eop_provider_state":"","_mu_eop_provider_zip":"","_mu_eop_provider_country":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-22432","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/832"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22432"}],"version-history":[{"count":75,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24836,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22432\/revisions\/24836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}