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James McBride Wins National Book Award for Fiction for a Book About John Brown

Author and National Book Award winner, James McBride discussing his work with What's The 411TV correspondent, Kizzy Cox Photo Credit: Alexis Williams/What's The 411 Networks Author and National Book Award winner, James McBride discussing his work with What's The 411TV correspondent, Kizzy Cox

James McBride, a winner of the National Book Award for Fiction, took time to speak with What's The 411 correspondent Kizzy Cox just prior to receiving his award.

James McBride, whose first book, The Color of Water, was on the New York Times bestseller list for two years said he didn't feel any pressure as he moved from non-fiction to fiction.

I didn't feel that much pressure because the Color of Water was non-fiction and everything I've done since then has been fiction," said McBride. "So it was a different world, which makes today a little more satisfying for me in that this is a fiction, I'm being recognized as a fiction writer as opposed to a non-fiction writer."

McBride won the National Book Award for fiction for THE GOOD LORD BIRD, a book about the white abolitionist, John Brown. The book takes a comedic look at slavery and the abolitionist.

So why did McBride write a book about slavery in America from a comedic perspective?

Check out the video of James McBride in his own words

"I wanted people to understand some of the things about John Brown but not feel bad about it," answered McBride. "History is hard to read for a lot of people and it's kind of very difficult for African Americans to read about slavery so I wanted to present it in a way that was funny and interesting, and real, as well, because the web of relationships from slavery was very complicated."

What's next for James McBride?

He wouldn't say specifically, but it could include another collaboration with his friend, Spike Lee.

 

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