On October 23, American novelist, essayist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction Colson Whitehead visited Lake Forest Academy. Whitehead was brought to LFA for the Bird Artist Series, managed by Bird Master Teaching Chair Jonathon Freeman. Whitehead spoke to the majority of the student body in Cressey Theatre on Thursday and to multiple English classes on Friday.
Colson Whitehead’s books are known among the LFA community after being chosen to be read and analyzed for curricular subjects this year; the AP Literature class was assigned to read Whitehead’s APEX Hides the Hurt for summer reading, and the English 10 class was assigned to read Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys during the first semester.
Whitehead’s novels navigate similar themes, including racism, historical reckoning and overcoming injustices — significant ideas and influential lessons for students. When asked about her opinion on The Nickel Boys, English 10 student Liza Lewis ‘28 said, “After reading The Nickel Boys, I appreciated his writing even more; his use of the continuum gives his books a timeless essence that any person can enjoy.”
Whitehead’s many awards include the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Underground Railroad, a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Nickel Boys, the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, a MacArthur Fellowship, A Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and more. Whitehead’s widely read novels and work attracted a large audience, including non-LFA community members, to his speech and Q&A on Thursday. Lewis said, “Meeting Colson Whitehead was an illuminating experience. Getting to hear his perspective on writing and the world was great to hear. During his seminar, he also weaved in humor which made his speech interactive and captivating.”
Whitehead’s seminar captivated various community members from different classes and age groups. AP Literature student Ella Froberg ‘26 said, “Colson Whitehead’s presentation was really funny. He talked about a lot of different aspects of his experience as a young writer and it was super interesting.” Hearing Whitehead’s experience of growing up writing made his work more fascinating and fostered a better understanding behind the subjects of his novels.
During the seminar, Whitehead answered many questions written by the LFA’s student body. Whitehead replied, “I liked seeing the equivalency between science and fiction and horror, that I grew up being inspired by, and magic realism in works by Garcia Marquez, the absurdity of Beckett, the mythical landscapes of Borges.” Moreover, Whitehead captured the audience’s attention with his wit and emphasis on the orthodoxy of failure as a writer. “Sophomore year [year of college], when I finally got the courage to write two five-page epics that I used to audition for the creative writing classes, I was turned down for admission each time. I was very depressed, but looking back, it was very good training to be a writer because when you’re a writer, everyone hates you and no one wants to read your crap.” Whitehead’s humorous explanation of his life as a writer before his “big break”caused outbreaks of laughter and enjoyment from the audience.
After the seminar, Whitehead’s novels were sold in the Cressey Lobby adjacent to a book signing opportunity that most attendees took advantage of. On Friday, Whitehead spoke to two English 10 classes during the school day about his book The Nickel Boys and his experience of being a writer.
