Washington post columnist, thriller writer who writes about the cia and such. This month, Pulitzer Prize winning author, Colson Whitehead as our guest. His most recent book is the under ground railroad. Mr. Whitehead, whats the appropriate response new book is appraised by oprah, president obama, you won the National Book award, what is the appropriate response . If only it took the pain aw away. [laughter] has taken off in a way thats unexpected and startling and wonderful. Just try to enjoy it despite my best efforts. Why does it put you in a better mood . Ive been writing for 20 something years doing fiction 20 some years, sometimes we write a book and people dig it and understand it sometimes write a book and no one cares and its sort of disappears so i have the pride the job i did with the book. Either you dig the groups of two prospectors or you dont and so you are either along for the ride description or not. Definitely when i was writing was my second attempt at a novel. My fir
Welcome to book tvindepth program, this is our special year of fiction on indepth. You see authors such as david baldacci, jody people, Walter Mosley, last month we had david ignatius, Washington Post columnist and thriller writer who writes about the cia and such. This month we are pleased to have Pulitzer Prize winning author Colson Whitehead as our guest with the most recent book is the underground railroad. Mister whitehead, whats the appropriate response when your book are are praised by oprah, president obama, you win the pulitzer and National Book award, whats the appropriate response . It took the pain away. This book is taking off in a way that is startling and wonderful so mostly i just thank my lucky stars and i sleep a little better, im in a better mood generally. And i tried to enjoy it. Its my best effort. Why does that put you in a better mood . Ive been writing for 20 something years, doing fiction for 20 years and you know, sometimes you write a book and people digging
Tonights event is going to be a doubleclick event. Talking about confronting, but also the revolutionary life of paul robison. His birthday was actually a week ago. This guy, horne is a brilliant scholar, brilliant historian and i want you to give a round of applause and welcome him here. [applause] all night, all day. We are going to be fighting for freddie gray. All night, all day, we are going to be fighting for freddie gray. First of all, let me say that its an honor and pleasure to be back here to read and not. I was here months ago to introduce two other new books that ive written and i can iterate to be quite an honor that theyve invited me back again. For those who may not be familiar, freddie gray was the young black man who had a fatal encounter with the police in the city of baltimore. And he is in a long list of such young but people who have had fatal encounters with the authorities. Im thinking of khmer rice in cleveland and eric garner in staten island, new york and Mich
Wondered what would happen, was a very positive experience. What about boston at that sometime. Yes. Boston was mixed. By and large, going to boston i had read about paul revere and his ride some lexington and the concord battles and the Boston Tea Party and also crispus attus was the first black to die in the revolutionary war. So i went to see the memorial for hem on the boston common. So i soaked up the hoyt the history of boston, so very positive. So my experience in boston really was very positive, but later in the late 50s the year i entered medical school was the year brown versus board of occasion, the Supreme Court decision, and so as this was implemented around the country, problems of not only in the south but in the north as well. And boston was one of those areas. So, my experience in boston was somewhat different from blacks who went to boston in the late 50s. They found with the political shenanigans of hicks i still remember him from south boston, running to be mayor, b