The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, whose novel Harlem Shuffle is out now, shares his secrets.
“A white lady, a Black guy, and a white guy.”
Here, he lets readers in on his prize-winning process.
Colson Whitehead.Credit: Chris Close
Maybe there’s a story there."
I was looking out a car window and thinking, “I love heist movies.
Can I write a heist novel?
Colson Whitehead is the author of ‘Harlem Shuffle,’ ‘The Nickel Boys,’ and ‘The Underground Railroad’.
And if I did, how would that work?”
To this day, I still seem to be riding off that year’s creative energies.
[Laughs] Then I tried to get into writing workshops in college and was always turned down.
My Writing Routine
Ideally I’d have eight months free just to work on a book.
If I have a dentist appointment or something, that day is shot.
I have to leave the house at 1?
Might as well not even get started.
InZone One, the post-apocalyptic ruin of New York allowed me to explore post-9/11 trauma and rebuilding the city.
Seeing the city change has also enriched my creative life.
I hate this."
It’s a great and lively pageant, instead of a place filled with invaders.
Not a lot of people liked that book, but I’ve felt sure-footed ever since.
I also know it can all come crashing down, so I keep working and trying not to coast.
The fear that my luck has run out keeps me going.
