Authors on Main brings world-class writers to New Hampshire. In this episode, beloved author Colson Whitehead visits the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord to sit down with NHPR’s Julia Barnett and discuss the third and final novel in his Harlem trilogy, Cool Machine.
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Another intimate look at salesman-by-day, fence-by-night Ray Carney and the changing landscape of New York City, this novel challenges traditional ideas surrounding morality and ownership, contemplating whether a crime committed to combat injustice and oppression is truly morally wrong. Is stealing from thieves a moral failing?
This conversation was recorded live on July 24, 2026.
Authors on Main is part of NHPR Books, which airs every Saturday at 3 p.m. You can explore all of our past conversations and literary content here.
