Pulitzer Prize winning author to speak at Brazos Valley Reads
Author Colson Whitehead will discuss his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Underground Railroad, as part of the Brazos Valley Reads initiative at 7 p.m. on April 9, 2019.
One of the most anticipated annual events for the Department of English returns on April 9 — Brazos Valley Reads.
The College of Liberal Arts and the Department of English proudly welcomes author Colson Whitehead to discuss his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Underground Railroad, as part of the Brazos Valley Reads initiative at 7 p.m. on April 9, 2019, at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center.
The event, which will be followed by a book-signing, is free and open to the public.
Published in 2016, Railroad tells a fictional story against the backdrop of American slavery in the 1800s. Main characters Cora and Caesar use the Underground Railroad to attempt freedom — but in this telling, the Underground Railroad is depicted as a rail transport system in addition to a series of safe houses and secret passages. It has been described as combining elements of fantasy with a truthful depiction of our country’s history.
Along with winning the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Railroad has also received the 2016 National Book Award for Fiction, the Arthur C. Clark Award, and the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence.
Bringing Whitehead to Texas A&M was a collaborative effort across campus and beyond. In addition to Liberal Arts and the English department, sponsors include: the Departments of Communication, History, and International Studies; the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research; the office of Robin R. Means Coleman, vice president and associate provost of diversity; the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives; the Interdisciplinary Critical Studies program; LAUNCH Undergraduate Research, Honors, and Learning Communities; and Blinn College.
Be sure to join us on April 9!