>"The Coolest Writer in America"

>Or so says Benjamin Alsup in the new issue of Esquire about Colson Whitehead. The book he’s writing about is Sag Harbor, Whitehead’s new book, an excerpt from which The New Yorker tried to pass off as a short story last year. (My comments about that excerpt are here; I thought it was excellent and stood alone nicely, unlike other novel excerpts TNY runs.) The reason I’m even bringing this up is that I love Alsup’s opening paragraph:

“Everybody digs Colson Whitehead. Since we’re talking literary fiction here, let it be understood that when I say everybody, I mean hardly anyone. I mean aging editors at The New Yorker and reviewers at The New York Times.”

Sad, but true.

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

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