LEADER 00000pam  2200373 i 4500 
003    DLC 
005    20220505135618.3 
008    211023s2022    nyu           000 0aeng   
010      2021051660 
020    9780063031661|q(hardcover) 
020    9780063031678|q(trade paperback) 
040    LBSOR/DLC|beng|erda|cDLC|dIMmBT|dNjBwBT|dUtOrBLW 
042    pcc 
043    n-us--- 
082 00 813/.54|aB|223/eng/20220208 
092    813.54|bVER 
100 1  Verdelle, A. J.,|d1960-|eauthor. 
245 10 Miss Chloe :|ba memoir of a literary friendship with Toni 
       Morrison /|cA.J. Verdelle. 
250    First edition. 
264  1 New York, NY :|bAmistad, an imprint of 
       HarperCollinsPublishers,|c[2022] 
300    360 pages ;|c22 cm 
336    text|btxt|2rdacontent 
337    unmediated|bn|2rdamedia 
338    volume|bnc|2rdacarrier 
520    "The award-winning author of The Good Negress shares 
       invaluable insights on the precarious journey toward 
       creativity that is the writer's life, and tells the 
       compelling story of her relationship with Toni Morrison, 
       painting an illuminating portrait of this towering yet 
       enigmatic cultural icon. With the publication of her debut
       novel The Good Negress in 1995, A. J. Verdelle became an 
       overnight sensation, winning critical acclaim and 
       competing for prestigious literature prizes. But for 
       Verdelle, the most unexpected consequence was the 
       friendship she formed with the legendary Toni Morrison. 
       Receiving an advance copy of the book, the Pulitzer and 
       Nobel prize-winning author-notorious for never giving 
       early praise-called The Good Negress, "Truly 
       Extraordinary." It was a writer's dream come true-a dream 
       that for Verdelle would become simultaneously exhilarating
       and challenging. Now, twenty-five years later, Verdelle 
       tells the story of that success and what came after. Miss 
       Chloe begins with the story of young Verdelle's persistent
       aim to become an author, spending countless pre-dawn hours
       writing the novel that became The Good Negress. Verdelle 
       then turns to the heady period after publication, focusing
       on her relationship with Toni-a precious gift that was 
       most of the time a grace and a blessing, and at other 
       times, confusing and too separate from literature. While 
       Morrison continued to rise as an icon, Verdelle's writing 
       career took a sharp turn. Verdelle's next novel-a Western 
       featuring Black characters-is quickly bought by a young 
       editor who leaves for another job before the manuscript is
       finished. Searching for direction, Verdelle moves to 
       another publisher. Yet this second book will languish for 
       more than fifteen years. In chronicling her journey, 
       Verdelle offers an honest assessment of what it means to 
       be a writer, including the expectations and let downs that
       famous friendships do not defray. Miss Chloe ends with the
       period after Morrison has passed away, when Verdelle is 
       left to face the reality of her writing career, pondering 
       what it means to have promise that is yet to materialize. 
       She finds comfort in advice Morrison offered over the 
       years, insight she shares in this wise book. "In order for
       Morrison to take you seriously, to have patience with you,
       to be interested, you had to be able to hear her," 
       Verdelle writes. "You had to be able to sit still and 
       listen. You had to be able to pipe up in the pauses, and 
       prove you understood. You needed demonstrate that language
       was a skill you had, that Black culture was known to you 
       and respected by you""--|cProvided by publisher. 
600 10 Verdelle, A. J.,|d1960-|xFriends and associates. 
600 10 Morrison, Toni|xFriends and associates. 
600 10 Morrison, Toni|xInfluence. 
650  0 African American women authors|vBiography. 
650  0 African American women|xSocial conditions. 
650  0 Publishers and publishing|zUnited States. 
650  0 Female friendship|zUnited States.