Colson Whitehead Quotes

Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead
American Novelist
Born: 1969
About Always Book Me People You
Related authors: Elie Wiesel Ernest Hemingway H. P. Lovecraft James Baldwin John Updike Leo Rosten Nathaniel Hawthorne Richard Bach
I have a good poker face because I am half-dead inside. Colson Whitehead
Good Face Inside Poker Because Am
If you want to understand America, it's slavery. Colson Whitehead
You Understand America Want Slavery
If you go to a big publishing house, editorial aside, it's completely white. Colson Whitehead
You Big White House Editorial Go Aside Publishing Publishing House
In '82 and '83, that was the rise of the VCR. Every Friday, my brother and I would go to Crazy Eddie's - which was a video store in Manhattan - and rent five horror movies. And that's basically what we did, basically, for three years. Becoming social misfits. Colson Whitehead
Crazy Three Every Would Brother Rise Horror Horror Movies Misfits Eddie Becoming Rent Go Years Friday Five Did Store Manhattan Which Movies Social Video Basically
For me, the terror of the zombie is that at any moment, your friend, your family, you neighbor, your teacher, the guy at the bodega down the street, can be revealed as the monster they've always been. Colson Whitehead
Teacher Family Me You Down Monster Neighbor Guy Revealed Terror Always Been Friend Any Your Moment Street Zombie
The idea of sacrifice is integral to the John Henry myth. Heroic figures have to die in order for us to have our stories; we live and stand on their bones. Colson Whitehead
Myth Sacrifice Live Heroic Our John Idea Integral Die Order Stories Us Stand Figures Henry Bones
My mom's mother was from Virginia, but I don't feel much of a tie. I'm very much anti-South for many, many reasons. Whenever I go down there, people are always looking at me funny, you know. Colson Whitehead
Funny Mom Me You People Mother Looking Down Virginia Feel Know Tie Always Go Very Whenever Much Reasons Many
Each book requires a different kind of treatment and structural gambit. Colson Whitehead
Book Kind Structural Different Different Kind Requires Each Treatment
Most of my books have always worked through juxtaposition, jumping through different point of views and time. Colson Whitehead
Time Books Point Through Most Always Jumping Different Juxtaposition Worked Views
'Driving while black' was taught to me at a young age. Colson Whitehead
Me Age Black Young Driving Taught Young Age While
Schools don't teach American history that well, especially a lot of black American history. Colson Whitehead
History Black Schools Well Lot American American History Teach
I wrote a book of essays about New York called 'The Colossus of New York,' but it's not about - you know, when I'm writing about rush hour or Central Park, it's not a black Central Park, it's just Central Park, and it's not a black rush hour, it's just rush hour. Colson Whitehead
You Book Writing Black Rush About Park New Hour Know Wrote York Essays Just New York Central Central Park
I always try to mix it up with each book - changing tone, changing style keeps the work very vital for me. Colson Whitehead
Work Me Book Try Style Changing Vital Always Mix Up Very Each Keeps Tone
Some people don't like my fiction, because they prefer the nonfiction. But moving around keeps the work fresh for me and, hopefully, for my one or two readers who follow me from book to book! Colson Whitehead
Work Me Book People Some People One Or Two Hopefully Follow Some Like Readers Because Around Fresh Nonfiction Fiction Moving Prefer Who Keeps Two
I think a joke is a form of truth-telling. A good joke that's absurd contains elements of our daily darkness and also a possibility to escape that darkness. So, for me, humor is an attempt to capture everyday tragedy and everyday hopeful moments that we experience all of the time. Colson Whitehead
Time Good Daily Me Experience Darkness Humor Joke Think Everyday Our Possibility Hopeful Attempt Absurd Contains Also Tragedy Escape Form Moments Capture Elements
Stephen King in general, as well as films of the apocalypse from the '70s, had a big influence on 'Zone One.' Colson Whitehead
King Big Films General Had Stephen King Well Big Influence Influence Apocalypse Zone
I write at home. I like to be able to take a nap, watch TV, make a sandwich, and if I wake up and don't feel like working, I'm not going to bang my head on my desk all day: I'll go out and do something else. Colson Whitehead
Day Home Wake Up Else All Day Out TV Able Something Something Else Write Take Head Feel Like Nap Make Go Wake Up Bang Going Sandwich Working Watch Desk
Other people have hang-ups about what's literary or genre or whatever, and that's sort of not my problem. You're supposed to write what you have to write, and you're supposed to keep moving. Colson Whitehead
You People Problem Whatever Keep Moving Other About Write Supposed Genre Sort Literary Moving Keep
The contemporary casino is more than a gambling destination: it is a multifarious pleasure enclosure intended to satisfy every member of the family unit. Colson Whitehead
Family Destination Casino Every Pleasure Member More Contemporary Than Intended Family Unit Gambling Unit Satisfy
Part of being in New York is being able to brag about what used to be there. Colson Whitehead
Able About Part New Brag York New York Being Used
In the apocalypse, I think those average, mediocre folks are the ones who are going to live. Colson Whitehead
Live Think Those Folks Going Apocalypse Average Who Mediocre
Write what you know. Colson Whitehead
You Write Know
You can raze the old buildings and erect magnificent corporate towers, hose down Port Authority, but you can't change people. Colson Whitehead
You Change People Old Down Corporate Magnificent Hose Towers Buildings Erect Authority Port
The terror of figuring out a new genre, of telling a new story, is what makes the job exciting, keeps me from getting bored, and I assume it keeps whoever follows my work from getting bored as well. Colson Whitehead
Work Me Job Assume Out Telling Bored Follows Exciting New Well Genre Makes Terror New Story Getting Story Figuring Whoever Keeps
Zombies are a great rhetorical prop to talk about people and paranoia, and they are a good vehicle for my misanthropy. Colson Whitehead
Good Great People Paranoia Prop About Vehicle Talk Rhetorical Zombies
If you're writing a detective novel or horror or sci-fi, you want to expand or reinvigorate the genre in your own little way. Colson Whitehead
You Writing Own Way Detective Horror Genre Sci-Fi Expand Want Little Your Novel
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