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Colson Whitehead has been a blazing young star on the literary scene. Black, urbane, gifted, showered with honors: from “The Intuitionist” and “John Henry Days” to “The Colossus of New York” he’s made glittering waves.
His new novel, “Sag Harbor,” is the opposite of blazing. It’s about boys and warm, lazy days summering and coming of age on Long Island in the 1980’s.
But it’s not the stereotype. It’s black boys with beach houses, he writes. Sons of well-set parents. Scooping ice cream. Kicking back. Coming to terms with life and race.
This hour, On Point: Colson Whitehead and “Sag Harbor.”
You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.
-Tom Ashbrook
Guest:
Colson Whitehead joins us from New York His new novel is “Sag Harbor.” He’s the author of five previous novels, including “The Intuitionist,” “John Henry Days,” “The Colossus of New York,” and “Apex Hides the Hurt.” He’s the recipient of a Whiting Writers’ Award and a MacArthur Fellowship.
You can read an excerpt from “Sag Harbor” at RandomHouse.com.
More links:
Whitehead created this annotated map of Main Street Sag Harbor for The Wall Street Journal.
And here he is in a YouTube video walking around Sag Harbor, talking about the book and its backstory:
Tags: African Americans, books, culture, race
I’m a 42 year old black woman. My sister and I were the only black kids in the whole school district. Our aunts, uncles and cousins lived on the “other side of the river”. They teased us when we visited about how we dressed, the music we listened to, how we spoke. We went to church in an upperclass black neighborhood where they teased us for not having enough money, not being part of the “rich black clique”. To this day I have a hard time making black friends and relating to black people. But I voted for Obama, although I really wanted Hillary in there. lol
Posted by MJ Davis, on May 12th, 2009 at 10:31 AMI am amazed how much Colson Whitehead’s writing sounds like John Updike in rhythm and choice of words and phrasing.
Posted by GAIL WRIGHT, on May 12th, 2009 at 10:46 AMAll writers want to be seen as individual in style and content. I hope Mr. Whitehead takes this as a compliment b/c that is how I mean it.
Hey Tom and Colson …
great show …
As an Irish Immigrant with an 11 year old son I am very much introduced to AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE .
Today for the first time I allowed my son to ride his bmx bike to middle school …I feel trepitation as he wants to do his bike tricks with his favourite black folk …
Ironcally I spent most of my teenage summers -slaving away
on the family farm ..
Tom might somewhat relate to this (the farm labour).
again great show
Posted by john oleary, on May 12th, 2009 at 10:47 AMjohn
I grew up on Long Island, and now live in Central Mass. We recently had a reunion (30 years) and the overwhelming remark was that growing up on Long Island, especially in the summers, was spectacular. We weren’t as affluent as the Hamptons or as Mr. Whitehead apparently was, but still, my home town was the home of scientists and professionals. I… Read More think that for my friends and I there was a feeling that we lived in the center of the universe. We had the Hamptons, the up coming North Fork, and NYC. And that everyone wanted what we had. Looking back, its not too far from the truth. Its not for everyone, but I’d say that for the most part, those of us that no longer live on The Island, we all would love to have that part back.
Posted by Neil Vigliotta, on May 12th, 2009 at 10:50 AMI’m getting this book.
I vacation with family on Martha’s Vineyard and we are closest to and frequent the Inkwell beach. In listening to the interview today, I heard the author describe a situation where it was uncomfortable and territorial for one group to overlap another, but I have never experienced that in Oak Bluffs. Of course, that’s just my one white-guy’s perspective.
I feel great going to the Island and being completely comfortable with other families.
Posted by Jack Tremblay, on May 12th, 2009 at 12:57 PMLiving and raising a family in northern Vermont, I’m grateful to have a place like this to visit and experience, even if it is a skewed view of reality.
Interesting interview, I look forward to reading the book.
Posted by Joe B., on May 12th, 2009 at 9:37 PM[...] Listen to the On Point Show. [...]
Posted by Writers on the Web: Novelist Colson Whitehead — Writing Matters, on May 14th, 2009 at 7:50 PM