Remembering Gloria Naylor

We have learned of the passing of one of the leading lights in the African American literary community. Gloria Naylor inspired generations of writers, including many of our Kimbilio Fellows. Celebrate her life by grabbing your favorite Gloria Naylor novel from the shelf and remembering all she taught us.

Ebony.com confirmed her passing and published a remembrance on their website:

Gloria Naylor, a writer known for illuminating the stories of Black women, died of a heart attack on September 28 in the Virgin Islands, her sister, Bernice Harrison, confirmed to EBONY.

According to Harrison, Naylor had been sick for some time and had a weak heart, but her family was not aware of the extent of her illness. Naylor suffered a coronary last Wednesday morning, but medical officials were unable to revive her.

“She was a wonderful person, very generous, kind, and thoughtful,” Harrison said via phone on Monday. “And she will be greatly be missed.”

Naylor, who was a novelist and artist, is best known for her award-winning book The Women of Brewster Place. Published in 1982, the novel went on earn Naylor the National Book Award the following year. In 1989, it was adapted for the screen and made into a miniseries by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions.

Read more at EBONY Remembering Gloria Naylor