The Architecture of the Dungeon: Toni Morrison and the 13th Amendment
From Literary Nomads by Steve Chisnell
March 1, 2026 · 42 min
About this episode
This episode analyzes Toni Morrison’s literary criticism in relation to the 13th Amendment and mass incarceration.
The Omelas basement has a physical address in America: the prison-industrial complex. This week, we use the lens of Toni Morrison’s literary criticism to interrogate the 13th Amendment and the ‘Hideous Bargain” of mass incarceration. If the basement is built into our laws, can we ever truly ‘walk away’? We analyze Toni Morrison’s book Playing […]
People in this episode
Host: Steve Chisnell
Topics covered
- Toni Morrison
- 13th Amendment
- mass incarceration
- literary criticism
- prison-industrial complex
Keywords
- Toni Morrison
- 13th Amendment
- mass incarceration
- literary criticism
- prison-industrial complex
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: prison-industrial complex
Books & works: Playing, 13th Amendment
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