Laurel

Laurel asked Colson Whitehead:

"She smiled at Chester, and Lovey and the women from her cabin, with brevity and efficiency. Like when you see the shadow of a bird on the ground but look up and nothing's there. She subsisted on rations, in everything." I had to close the book to think for a while, about not only how Caesar sees Cora, but how I do, how Ridgewaydoes, how every character does. Do you think about these perspectives when writing?

Colson Whitehead Whenever you are trying to write from this or that character's perspective, you try to figure out how their psychology, education, vocabulary and current mood/situation are shaping how they are seeing things in that moment. Then, with luck, you find the right words to get it down for the reader!

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Suzanne

Suzanne asked Colson Whitehead:

The brutal experiences that Cora endures can seem unrelenting. Did you find that you needed to break away from writing the story to remember and experience the happier side of life? And if you did, what kinds of things did you do?

Sunny

Sunny asked Colson Whitehead:

I think this is about the fifth of your books I've read and "Underground" is one of my favorites. Do you see a difference between reviews by white reviewers and black reviewers? I've been reading and listening to recent reviews from white reviewers (who may or may not have read the book) and am surprised at their takes on "Underground."

Anatole

Anatole asked Colson Whitehead:

Was it a conscious decision to begin The Underground Railroad in a more realistic style and only introduce the fantastical elements later, or did that develop organically as you began writing the novel?

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Colson Whitehead

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