412 Quotes by Colson Whitehead

It was a magnificent operation, from seed to bale, but not one of them could be prideful of their labor. It had been stolen from them. Bled from them. The tunnel, the tracks, the desperate souls who found salvation in the coordination of its stations and timetables – this was a marvel to be proud of. She wondered if those who had built this thing had received their proper reward.

If it is true for you, it is true for someone else, and you are no longer alone.

Manhattan was empty except for soldiers and legions of the damned, and already gentrification had resumed.

Do not doubt you inspire with every breath, that every breath is a marvel of engineering.

He was a mediocre man. He had led a mediocre life exceptional only in the magnitude of its unexceptionality. Now the world was mediocre, rendering him perfect.

If you want to see what this nation is all about, I always say, you have to ride the rails. Look outside as you speed through, and you’ll find the true face of America.′ He slapped the wall of the boxcar as a signal. The train lurched forward.

Make a career of humanity. Make it a central part of your life.

The word we. We are not one people but many different people. How can one person speak for this great, beautiful race – which is not one race but many, with a million desires and hopes and wished for ourselves and our children?

I think being a writer was a crappy job when you just had typewriters. It was crappy when we just had ink and paper. And it’s sort of crappy now. It’s always just you and the page. That doesn’t change.