NASHVILLE — Colson Whitehead will appear at Fisk University in Nashville for a joint presentation with Parnassus Books. The author is celebrating his new novel "Cool Machine" at the event, which marks the conclusion of his Harlem Trilogy.

The presentation will take place in the Appleton Room at Fisk’s Jubilee Hall at 6:30 p.m. Admission to the event requires a ticket purchase of $33, a fee that includes general admission and one pre-signed copy of the new book. Organizers stated there will not be a signing or photo line following the event.

"Cool Machine" is set in the 1980s and covers the years 1981, 1983, and 1986. The novel examines New York City during a period of intense real estate development, an active art and club scene, and ongoing inequality and crime. It also explores the impact of Reaganomics on the city. The Harlem Trilogy began with "Harlem Shuffle," set in the 1960s, and continued with "Crook Manifesto," set in the 1970s.

Whitehead has won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice. He received the award in 2016 for his novel "The Underground Railroad," which also received the National Book Award in Fiction. He won the prize again in 2019 for "The Nickel Boys." That novel is based on a true story about a Jim Crow-era Florida reformatory that subjected young Black men to violent abuse. Whitehead is one of only four writers ever to win the Pulitzer Prize twice.

Born in 1969, Whitehead grew up in New York City and graduated from Harvard University. His debut novel, "The Intuitionist," was published in 1999. He published the nonfiction volume "The Colossus of New York" in 2003.

Whitehead’s work examines the realities of race and class in America. He is a recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships. In 2021, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal.

Fisk University is located at 1000 17th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208. The institution is a private historically black liberal arts college founded in 1866. Its 40-acre campus is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Parking for the event is available in a lot behind Jubilee Hall off Jefferson Street, near the corner of Jefferson and D. B. Todd Blvd. Free street parking is available along Meharry Blvd at 1720 Meharry Blvd. Nashville, TN 37208.

The Pulitzer Prize was established in 1917 to recognize achievements in journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. Whitehead’s appearance at Fisk University continues a pattern of high-profile literary events at historically black universities. The release of "Cool Machine" completes a trilogy that has tracked social and economic shifts in New York City across three decades.