Critical Insights: Colson Whitehead

This volume explores the works of Pulitzer Prize–winning author Colson Whitehead, celebrated for his narrative storytelling as well as for his revelatory commentary on identity, American history, and racism. A basic biography is presented along with critical analysis of The Underground Railroad (2016), The Nickel Boys (2019), and other lesser-known texts. Whitehead’s writing places him in the lineage of gifted African American social justice writers, and this new book examines his body of work through diverse literary, social, and cultural lenses, introducing the reader to this eminent contemporary author.