Tanya Mosley

The New York Times produced a podcast and a piece called Don't Make a Saint Out of Toni Morrison, Wesley Morris.

Their argument was that sanctification puts her too far away to touch, too far away to actually read, which is also what you are saying, that she's being misread.

But at the same time, does a book called On Morrison risk becoming part of that problem?

Namwali Serpell, thank you so much for this conversation and thank you for this book.

Author and Harvard professor Namwali Serpell.

Her new book is called On Morrison.

Coming up, jazz historian Kevin Whitehead reviews two new biographies of composers and pianists born 43 years apart, James P. Johnson and Alice Coltrane.

This is Fresh Air.

There are two fat new biographies of composers and pianists born 43 years apart.

Their music transcended jazz, but recognition for their work was slow.

James P. Johnson, born in 1894, and Alice Coltrane, born in 1937.

Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead reviews both books.

Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead reviewed Speakeasies to Symphonies, The Jazz Genius of James P. Johnson by Scott E. Brown, and Cosmic Music, The Life, Art, and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane by Andy Betta.

On tomorrow's show, we talk about the state of the conflict with Iran and prospects for peace with Aaron David Miller, a veteran of the State Department who advised Republican and Democratic presidents on Middle East policy.

He's the author of five books and is currently a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

I hope you can join us.

Fresh Air's executive producer is Sam Brigger.

Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham.

Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Phyllis Myers, Anne-Marie Baldonado, Lauren Krenzel, Teresa Madden, Monique Nazareth, Thea Chaloner, Susan Yakundi, Anna Bauman, and Nico Gonzalez-Whistler.

Our digital media producer is Molly C.V.