Colson Whitehead

I didn't want to. I felt sort of compelled to. You know, I came across a story of the school in 2014. They wanted to sell the property, the state of Florida did, and they started exhuming the official graveyard. And then they found a lot of unmarked graves. And some archaeology students started excavating the unmarked graves and trying to ID different students who'd been there.

And the story stayed with me. You know, if there's one place like this, there are many places. And maybe it's a reform school, it's an orphanage. Talking to some folks in Canada, they talked about residential schools there where indigenous kids were taken from their families and put in schools to learn about white culture. And the same kind of abuse happened.

And the story stayed with me. You know, if there's one place like this, there are many places. And maybe it's a reform school, it's an orphanage. Talking to some folks in Canada, they talked about residential schools there where indigenous kids were taken from their families and put in schools to learn about white culture. And the same kind of abuse happened.

And the story stayed with me. You know, if there's one place like this, there are many places. And maybe it's a reform school, it's an orphanage. Talking to some folks in Canada, they talked about residential schools there where indigenous kids were taken from their families and put in schools to learn about white culture. And the same kind of abuse happened.

And it seemed if the story hadn't been told, someone needed to tell it.

And it seemed if the story hadn't been told, someone needed to tell it.

And it seemed if the story hadn't been told, someone needed to tell it.

Well, I was on Twitter, where I often am. That's where I first came across the news report and then immediately started searching. And Ben Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Times had covered the story for years. So there's a lot of Florida coverage, not a lot of national coverage. When I started writing, there's some memoirs. There's a survivor site called the White House Boys.

Well, I was on Twitter, where I often am. That's where I first came across the news report and then immediately started searching. And Ben Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Times had covered the story for years. So there's a lot of Florida coverage, not a lot of national coverage. When I started writing, there's some memoirs. There's a survivor site called the White House Boys.

Well, I was on Twitter, where I often am. That's where I first came across the news report and then immediately started searching. And Ben Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Times had covered the story for years. So there's a lot of Florida coverage, not a lot of national coverage. When I started writing, there's some memoirs. There's a survivor site called the White House Boys.

And people who'd been there in the 50s and 60s had written down some of their stories of being there. And then online, a lot of photo archives. And you can see the White House where the kids were beaten. You can see the the dormitories and the administration buildings. And it all looks very nice. It's a very beautiful campus. And then once you hear about it, your idea about it definitely changes.

And people who'd been there in the 50s and 60s had written down some of their stories of being there. And then online, a lot of photo archives. And you can see the White House where the kids were beaten. You can see the the dormitories and the administration buildings. And it all looks very nice. It's a very beautiful campus. And then once you hear about it, your idea about it definitely changes.

And people who'd been there in the 50s and 60s had written down some of their stories of being there. And then online, a lot of photo archives. And you can see the White House where the kids were beaten. You can see the the dormitories and the administration buildings. And it all looks very nice. It's a very beautiful campus. And then once you hear about it, your idea about it definitely changes.

I intended to go. I liked doing research. Whenever I travel for a book, I always feel like I'm earning a real writer badge or something. And I figured I'd go down there after I got halfway through the book. And then the deeper I got in, and the more I wrote about Elwood and Turner, my two main characters, the more I had a sense of real physical dread and anger thinking about the place.

I intended to go. I liked doing research. Whenever I travel for a book, I always feel like I'm earning a real writer badge or something. And I figured I'd go down there after I got halfway through the book. And then the deeper I got in, and the more I wrote about Elwood and Turner, my two main characters, the more I had a sense of real physical dread and anger thinking about the place.

I intended to go. I liked doing research. Whenever I travel for a book, I always feel like I'm earning a real writer badge or something. And I figured I'd go down there after I got halfway through the book. And then the deeper I got in, and the more I wrote about Elwood and Turner, my two main characters, the more I had a sense of real physical dread and anger thinking about the place.

And then I realized I was not going to go. And if I was going to go, it would be with some dynamite or a bulldozer. I think it's an evil place, and I'm not sure if I'll ever go there.

And then I realized I was not going to go. And if I was going to go, it would be with some dynamite or a bulldozer. I think it's an evil place, and I'm not sure if I'll ever go there.

And then I realized I was not going to go. And if I was going to go, it would be with some dynamite or a bulldozer. I think it's an evil place, and I'm not sure if I'll ever go there.

You know, I'm not a zombie hunter or a runaway slave or an elevator inspector. Generally, I enjoy things you have written about in other books. And I do enough research to feel grounded and really eager to start working. And that's when I know I have enough to keep going.