Colson Whitehead's new great American novel, The Underground Railroad (Doubleday), depicts a real underground railroad that transports a fugitive slave to stops that defy time and history, highlighting the daily struggles of black people, past and present. It is a very different book from his previous work and Whitehead discusses what led to such a drastic change in style. Even though he dreamt up the concept for the book 16 years ago, he is certain that as the Gen X slacker he claims he was, he would have "messed it up."
Note: This interview originally aired on September 15, 2016.
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