that is what toni morrison does. if there is a great lesson that i have learned from her, it is probably that. tavis: how do you go about writing a book like this that is usable, that is embraceable? does that make sense? >> it does. the same things -- i really deeply believe in the primacy of character. i believe my job as a writer to put a believable human being on a page. as much as writers are certainly concerned with things like themes and tropes and all these things that are sort of happening beneath the text, it seemed to me that first and foremost my job was not to do tricks are sure that i'm smart but to simply write these characters. i think that if you just like your characters, you end up with something that people can access. toertainly wouldn't deign speak for toni morrison, but obviously, what she is bringing to her characters is enormous and complex and deeply layered. she is also writing her characters. you can read her 17 times and you can access her the first time on one level, and you ask us for a

toni morrison. it's a blessing.zing, we have been sister friends all of these years and i'm grateful for her. i know that in truth, it takes one to know one and i am grateful. i know that toni is all of that and i know that you are, all of you literary folks, amazing. i mean amazing that you have chosen to give me a gift, to honor me and i am so pleased. it's amazing. i know that you are all writers and i am delighted that you have chosen to not only honor me but to ask ms. toni morrison to honor me and honor you, and that is who you are. there is an old statement, an old statement that says. ♪ when it looks like the sun. ♪ will not shine anymore. ♪ god put a rainbow in the clouds. ♪ amazing. [applause] amazing. [applause] the statement was inspired by the statement in genesis. it says that the rain had persisted so unrelentingly that people thought it would never see so in an attempt to put the people at ease, god put a rainbow in the sky. that is in genesis but in the 20th century -- i'm sorry the 19th century, so

tony morrison, it's a blessing. it's amazing, we have been sister friends all of these years and i am grateful for it. i know that in truth it takes one to know one and i am grateful. i know that tony is all of that and i know that you are, all of you literary folks, amazing. i mean, amazing that you have chosen to give me a gift, to honor me and i'm so pleased. it's amazing. i know that you are all writers and i am delighted that you have chosen to not only honor me that to ask ms. toni morrison to honor me and honor you. and that is who you are. there is an old statement, an old statement that says, when it looks like the sun will not shine anymore. ♪ god put a rainbow in the clouds. ♪ amazing. amazing. [applause] the statement was aspired in genesis. it it says that the rain had persisted so unrelenting -- people thought it would never ease. to put the people at ease, god put a rainbow in the sky. that is in genesis. but in the 20th century -- i'm sorry 19th century, some african-american poet, maybe a woman, i'm

tavis: your friend and mine, toni morrison, said to me in this -- on this program that black people have never bored me. it was a great line. i love that line. back to something you raised earlier in this conversation. looking at your work in retrospect, you made a joke when you say that there are some people might think you are not very objective about white folk. has the lens through which you look at white people, is it different than it was in the 1960s? >> i do reread. i think what i said is true, but that does not mean each and every. white andthemselves that is what is important to them. it is stupid. i have every right to consider it despicable and stupid. when we look at the other people who are dealing with i have a color in my skin like you have a color in your skin, then we get along. ,hen you look at the history you have to consider the history because it is a bad idea. necessarily fond of the fantasy. i do not have to fantasize where i was 1500 years ago. accept, youhave to know, this is where we are and this is what we want. what i want, and i got an opportunity to speak t

video -- >> they are -- tanya, i want to underline that and say as you spoke i was thinking of tony morrison'st the need for someone to want the black baby to live. and so "nerdland" knows that your children are great gifts to our community. thank you for coming here. tanya fields, your honesty, your courage matters to all of us. that's our show for today. thanks for watching. see you next saturday 10:00 a.m. eastern. a preview for weekends with alex witt with mara schiavocampo. thanks for filling in for alex today. >> good morning. what's a time tax and why are young voters paying it at the polls? a new report that will be released first on our air at 1:30 eastern. and benjamin netanyahu weighs in on a deal for the iran nuclear talks this week. >>> a customer denies a new jersey waitress a tip on a bill worth nearly $100 because of her sexual orientation. we'll tell you how the tables got turned. >>> and the best man holiday beats out thor. we ask when is hollywood going to stop being surprised when films featuring african-americans do so well? ov? ♪ like, really big... then expanded? ♪ or th