Passionate personal insightful testy and unique. -Kirkus (starred review) Verdelle offers
us testimony in praise and consideration of life as a literary citizen and Black woman
alongside the guiding light of Toni Morrison. This is a holy testimony indeed one that
deserves to be amen'd forever. -Jason Reynolds #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Verdelle
gives us the greatest gift-our beloved ancestor returned to us-generous and alive remembered
and revered. So grateful for this book in the world. -Jacqueline Woodson author of Another
Brooklyn If you let a black girl loose in a library you may not recognize the woman who
emerges. -from Miss Chloe Toni Morrison born Chloe A Wofford was a towering figure in the
world of literature when she entered A.J. Verdelle's life. Their literary friendship was a
young writer's dream-simultaneously exhilarating intimidating fulfilling and challenging.
The relationship crossed generations spanned several cycles in life exhibited high and low
notes reached and dipped and found its way. Like many women friends these two writers
imagined and built a relationship that was responsive inventive and engaged. Miss Chloe
powerfully situates the risks writers face and the freedom they find when they put Black
women's lives into words. Verdelle chronicles her grief at Morrison's passing and finds
comfort in Morrison's astute advice-wisdom Verdelle didn't always recognize at the time. In
this pensive and intricately lyrical book Verdelle honors Morrison among the cultural greats
while illuminating and celebrating the power of language legacy and genius. A. J. Verdelle is
the award-winning author of the novel The Good Negress. She teaches Creative Writing at Morgan
State University and at the MFA program at Lesley University.
