johnson introducing me to ralph ellison.ind of racist but did introduce know hunters of solitude as a teacher in high school. in one took me a side and said, you're special. but they introduce met to great books and important moments in my development as a person, as a writer, and i still think about so many things i read in elementary school, reading the lottery for the first time like all of dues and what does that teach us about 1950s america, shirley jackson story. being introduced to this novel to james joyce as a freshman in college, when i'm speaking in my voice, and then there's an explosive, dynamic talent, in ulysses. so, no teachers remember my name or know me but introduced know very important books that's still draw upon today. >> host: iris, south lion, michigan. a few minutes left in our program with author colson whitehead. >> caller: hi there. i'm calling because eye love your hairdo. it's really cool, and peter read that quote by you father, i think he must have again to my high school because we all though

. >> host: does ralph ellison, invisible man hold up?tomer heard it years ago, i taught it. it is really a marvelous book. i will sort of -- could have lost a few words in the sermon in the early part of the book but i mentioned being a revelation for me as a teenager. i remember reading the first section of battle royale. it was asserted in seventh grade and american short stories. and at that point i was reading fantastic literature. and there was so much absurdity and i felt a real kinship. it was important to me when i was younger and still was kind of real inspiration. >> host: what you get from -- >> guest: just that ecstatic american voice that is tragic, sarcastic, loving, cruel, on twitter, people retweet from -- i will be watching news on twitter and then, three lines from transit stop up. i was that he is amazing. there are impressionistic as is about the city. hopefully, at moments there is that american boys and ginsberg and walt whitman. >> host: from the underground railroad, colson whitehead writes that the divine thread

johnson introducing me to ralph ellison.dy really took me aside and it's like your special, but they talked about great books and the importance of that development as a writer. so think about reading the lottery for the first time i what that teaches us about to be introduced to this novel james joyce is a freshman in college when there's this explosive dynamic talent in ulysses. semi teachers introduced me to very important books that are still draw upon today. >> iris from southland michigan. >> hello i'm calling because i love your hairdo, it's really cool and peter read that quote by your father and i thought he went to my high school because we all thought the same way. i lived in a mixed area we all got along. wheaton college other names. and a lot of people that graduated with me of color not color went on to really great pics. two of the officers from a graduating class for people of all color. nobody call me a dirty -- and i didn't call anybody another name. we live together in the same neighborhoods and got along

johnson introducing me to ralph ellison, his teacher who -- they were consistent of racist but did introduceof solitude as a senior in high school. no one has took me aside and was like, you're special. but they introduced know great books and important moments in my development as a person and a writer and i still think about so many things i read in elementary school, reading the lottery for the first time like all of us do and what does that teach us about 1950s america, shirley jackson's story. introduced to this novel, to james joyce as a freshman in college, when i'm speaking with my voice, and there's an explosive dynamic talent in ulysses. so, none of the teaches remember my name or know me but introduce node very important books that it still draw upon today. >> host: iris, south lyon, michigan. a few minutes left in the program with author colson whitehead other. >> caller: i love your hear. i think he went to my high school. lived in a mixed area. we all got along. we laughed together, we sat together, we didn't call each other names, and, boy, a lot of people that graduated with