Welcome to book tv in depth this is especially or fiction on indepth and last month was David Ignatius who writes about the cia. This month we have Colson Whitehead is our guest his most recent book is the underground railroad. What is the appropriate response mr. Whitehead when your books are praised by the president obama and ohio oprah and the National Book award . It takes the pain away. [laughter] this book has taken off in a way that is unexpected and wonderfu wonderful. So i think my lucky stars i sleep a little better, a better mood generally, and try to enjoy it despite my best efforts. Why does it put you in a better mood . I have been writing 20 something years doing fiction 20 years. And no one particularly cares. So i have the pride of thinking i did a good job with the book and the bonus of other people to see that as well. Host your first book was about elevator repair people. How do you sell a book like that quick. Exactly. So when i send it to my agent with the concept
If theres ever a fascinating all historys fascinating, but this is faze enating to me. Nays nateing to me. I have not fixed on a idea yet, but im hoping. Thank you. Having taught history, your book, i would think, would be really important for young people to write, to have a sense of being there and the journalingnd keeping track of speernses and seeing it through the eyes instead of through experts or historians or whatever. History becomes more integrated into their experience opposed to, you know, listings of times and places, and i would think that would be an interesting book to have in your arsenal. Well, i would love it if became a book like that. [laughter] that was the goal. I just didnt want dates, but what it felt like. I talked about the book in a community college, not far from washington, and it is extraordinary how much people dont know. You know, just by virtue of being young. How would they know . They didnt grow up with parents who fought in world war ii. I explained
Did get to talk to them i remind myself that i would never know what he told me was really accurate or not and i got a lot of information through shall we say accounts that were written at the time, and i depended on them so as far as getting the true story i am not sure i lost that much. But he died in march so no more chances. Of this year, yeah. He was 89 years old a thing. He was younger than the others. He was 19 when he went overseas. He had been raised in england. He went to be in and was american by birth but english by training you might say so he was really eager to get back there while london was being bombed and endanger. I guess they had just escaped the danger of invasion but he wanted to be over there. Yes . I am interested in your first book and im wondering if its kind of it and ambitious or if its kind of set you the wanting to write another one and im wondering where you are on that . Is there a sense of closure and completion or heavy now got the bug . Yes, and yes.
Riverkeepers keep at it - LaGrange Daily News lagrangenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lagrangenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.