New Lenox Public Library hosts Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Colson Whitehead
New Lenox Library is joining more than 200 other libraries in Illinois to kick off Season 3 of Illinois Libraries Present, a collaborative effort featuring virtual events with bestselling and award-winning authors and esteemed speakers. The season opens with Colson Whitehead, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. The Power of Story with Colson Whitehead will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, September 6, at 7 PM.
Whitehead is only the fourth author to win two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction. His novel, The Underground Railroad, a #1 New York Times bestseller, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2017, as well as the National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for Fiction. Whitehead was awarded his second Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for The Nickel Boys.
Crook Manifesto, Whitehead’s latest release and the second book in the Harlem Trilogy, was published in July 2023. It’s a darkly funny tale of a city under siege, but also a sneakily searching portrait of the meaning of family. The author’s other books include Harlem Shuffle, The Noble Hustle, Zone One, Sag Harbor, The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, Apex Hides the Hurt, and a collection of essays.
Whitehead received a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, among others. In 2023, President Biden awarded Whitehead a National Endowment for the Humanities Medal.
Colson Whitehead will be joined in conversation with award-winning author Tochi Onyebuchi. His books include Goliath, Riot Baby, the Beasts Made of Night series, the War Girls series, and (S)kinfolk.
Author events are often a cornerstone of library programming. Throughout the pandemic these events continued virtually as libraries collaborated to host authors and speakers. This ensured that Illinois communities had access to events that may otherwise be unattainable for a single library due to budget or production constraints. Illinois Libraries Present brought together diverse communities, ensured access to patrons across the state, and expanded the speaker’s platform.
Season 3 of Illinois Libraries Present will continue in October when Stephen Graham Jones talks horror. Stephen Graham Jones is a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and a bestselling author. The virtual event will take place on Wednesday, October 4, at 7 PM.
The event with Colson Whitehead is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. The Power of Story with Colson Whitehead will begin at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 6, 2023. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register or for more information, visit www.newlenoxlibrary.org or call 815-485-2605.
ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility.