Colson Whitehead: What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?

The question

What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Colson Whitehead

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

Opening day of The Empire Strikes Back, 86th Street Loews.

Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, July 2023 source ↗

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Nile Rodgers American guitarist

The first time I played a complete song on the guitar. It was A Day In The Life, by the Beatles.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 July 2013 source ↗

Andy Serkis English actor

When my wife Lorraine and I got together in 1990. We were in a play at the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester when we suddenly realised we were falling in love.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 1 July 2017 source ↗

Olivia Williams British actress

People are often traumatised by the sleeplessness in the first years of their children’s lives, but I was insanely happy to be married and have two children. The only dark cloud was how much we were loathed for having babies who slept through the night.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 April 2022 source ↗

Shirley Hughes English illustrator and author

Wandering around with my sketchbook in some lovely Italian town.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 January 2012 source ↗

More from Colson Whitehead

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Question If you could alter one thing about yourself, what would it be? Identity & self

Best to leave things alone. Pull things out, it all comes down. I’m Jenga like that.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 18 July 2023 source ↗

Question What trait do you most dislike in other people? Values & belief

Enough with the constant smiling.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, July 2023 source ↗

Question What does happiness look like for you when life is going well? Identity & self

I’m walking down the street angrily muttering to myself and then I run into a neighbor or former coworker and they catch me in this moment of private-public expression. It’s nice to be seen sometimes.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 18 July 2023 source ↗

Question Which quality in your friends matters most to you? Relationships

They’ll help me dump a body off the turnpike.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 18 July 2023 source ↗

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