I did not personally know any of the men or women associated with the book. Neither did you. Research can bring us closer to the historical man’s deeds but doesn’t allow us to know their hearts and minds. If we understand human nature and historical context, we can usually get to the what & how, but not necessarily the why. In my book, I tried to make clear the first two, even if the last part remains a mystery.

Writing criticism of a work hailed as the best firsthand account of Southern slavery is not easy. It is tough to be objective in a culture that makes anything other than the sanctification of Solomon Northup a sin.

I would ask that anyone who wishes to bring criticism of my work based on anything other than facts, to read it first, then put in the research hours before proceeding. Bring something to the table.

More plainly put…if your criticism involves only my skin color in conflict with the scope of my work, find a better argument or a more willing listener.

To presume I am a racist because I am Caucasian, or that I’m not qualified to comment on the subject (other than with glowing praise) because I am not black is bigotry. It just doesn’t fit the bigotry label that gives you warm fuzzies and a contrived sense of social justice. I do enjoy hate mail, though, so if you feel triggered enough, please drop me a line.