Podcast appearances and mentions of Kiese Laymon

Notes and Links to Kiese Laymon's Work   Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. Laymon is the author of Long Division, which won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, named a notable book of 2021 by the New York Times critics. Laymon's bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Barnes and Noble Discovery Award, the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year. Laymon is the recipient of 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard. Laymon is at work on the books, Good God, and City Summer, Country Summer, and a number of other film and television projects. He is the founder of The Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative, a program based out of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, aimed at aiding young people in Jackson get more comfortable reading, writing, revising and sharing on their own terms, in their own communities. He is the co-host of Reckon True Stories with Deesha Philyaw. Kiese Laymon was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2022. Buy Heavy   “The Worst Shot Ever Taken” from Believer Magazine   Review for Heavy from NPR   Kiese Laymon's Website   Kiese Laymon's Wikipedia Page At about 1:45, the two discuss Kiese's article from The Believer and word counts and teaching high and college  At about 3:05, Kiese talks about his love of hoops and names some standout and favorite players from back in the day and now At about 4:10, The two shout out grizzled veterans like Phillip Rivers and LeBron James At about 5:30, Pete highlights Ernie Barnes' work and asks Kiese about the significance of Barnes' paintings At about 8:45, Kiese shares his memories of and love for basketball and jumpstops and shot fakes-shout out, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf At about 10:40, Pete shouts out Jeff Pearlman's basketball wiles At about 11:10, Kiese lays out the exposition for his The Believer article and Pete and Kiese fanboy over Kiese's writer friends and Sactown's own, Cydni Matsuoka At about 14:00, Kiese responds to Pete's question about the “possibility” of Steph Curry At about 16:45, Toni Cade Bambara and “Gorilla, My Love” is highlighted, as Pete links Kiese's penultimate sentence to Bambara's work At about 18:20, The two discuss Kiese's mom as a “public intellectual” and Kiese lists formative reading and listening  At about 20:30, Kiese shouts out Kendrick Lamar as a link to Public Enemy's activism and consciousness, and marvels at his lasting power At about 24:20, Kiese reflects on Public Enemy's methods versus that of others like NWA or Dead Prez At about 26:25, Kiese highlights Julian Randle, Safiya Sinclair, Deesha Philyaw, and Sarah Aziza's work as some that resonates with his college students At about 28:40, Pete calls attention to Heavy's epigraph and dedication and discusses their significance  At about 30:05-30:27 At about 31:05, Kiese responds to Pete's question about so much of the book's Prologue being centered on his Grandmama At about 32:45, Kiese outlines his rationale and motivation for ultimately writing a different type of book, not the “safer” book his mom and publishers might have wanted At about 34:30, Kiese and Pete discuss the echo of his time at Millsap College being censored/edited with an op-ed piece of his At about 35:40, Kiese recounts stories associated with the book's opening scene in Las Vegas At about 38:45, Kiese reflects on his mother as his “best friend” and ideas of mortality and “initation”  At about 40:55, Kiese responds to Pete's questions about the way his family interacted in his childhood At about 45:20, Pete sets up an important opening scene involving Layla and asks Kiese about rape/sexual assault in the house of older acquaintances  At about 50:10, Kiese reflects on ideas of power and safety and sexuality  At about 53:15, Pete and Kiese discuss the juxtaposition of his mom as a public intellectual and as someone who struggled with financial and other practical pursuits At about 55:30, Kiese talks about Malachi Hunter in the book and balancing “reductive and stupid” comments he made with lessons he taught Kiese At about 57:20, Kiese and Pete trace the different ways in which Malachi and Kiese's mom and grandmother undertook “reckoning” or didn't At about 59:00, Kiese homes in on his grandmother's life and “reckon[ings}” with history and sexism and racism At about 1:01:00, Pete and Kiese discuss the ways in which Kiese's grandmother got by financially and spiritually At about 1:01:50, Kiese expands on the ways in which he viewed organized religion  At about 1:03:40, The two discuss the ways in which the book's title was manifested through his grandmother's love At about 1:04:10, Abundance! and slang that didn't catch on is discussed At about 1:04:50, Kiese reflects on a painful experience in school involving a viewing of Roots without a larger discussion  At about 1:08:55, Kiese expands upon how he saw Mississippi in his year away in Maryland At about 1:11:05, Kiese discusses an early relationship and its challenges and the conflicting ways in which he viewed his coach and teacher At about 1:14:10, Kiese regrades a high school essay-it's an “A!” At about 1:15:00, Kiese responds to Pete asking about his high school graduation boycott At about 1:16:50, The two discuss time in college and Kiese's relationship with a girl and his learning in class and outside of school-Pete highlights a wonderful paragraph on Page 141 that highlights “liberation” At about 1:18:00, Kiese shares the practical advice Malachi Hunter gave Kiese as he was threatened in college for his writing At about 1:19:25, Kiese reflects on the ways in which he viewed his writing At about 1:20:45, Kiese talks about Tate Reeves' presence at a racist frat event and the ways in which Tate knew Kiese and failed him At about 1:23:50, Kiese talks about how the book is different/aged since he published it in 2018   You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Jeff Pearlman, a recent guest, is up soon at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of formative and transformative writing for children, as Pete surveys wonderful writers on their own influences. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 317 with Dr. Timothy Wellbeck. a leader in the fight for justice and racial equity. Timothy presently serves as the founding Director of the Center for Anti-Racism at Temple University, where he has led the Center from its inception into becoming one of the leading institutions of its kind. A Civil Rights Attorney by training and practice, Timothy is a scholar of law, race, and cultural studies. We'll be talking about his standing-room only, incredibly popular Temple University classes about Kendrick Lamar and his music. The episode airs on January 13. Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.  

Memoir Nation is ringing in the new year with some of our greatest hits. We've gone into the archives and chosen a clip from a handful of our favorite guests over the years. Listening to each of these memoirists speak about memoir, writing, and the gifts and challenges of the genre is so inspiring—and we hope this hour of insight will be some fuel for your own writing tank. We're in the first week of our JanYourStory free writing challenge, and it's not too late to join. Come check out the Community tab on MemoirNation.com. Mary Karr, Jeannette Walls, Kiese Laymon, Abigail Thomas, Elizabeth Gilbert, Ashley C. Ford, Firoorzeh Dumas, Dani Shapiro, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, and Maggie Smith are all extraordinary memoirists who've graced our show in the past eight years. Check out their books, their social media, and their interviews in our archives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Notes and Links to Cole Cuchna's Work     Cole Cuchna graduated from California State University with a degree in music composition. Cuchna graduated in 2015, pursued a short solo career, then worked as a barista. But his desire to bridge the classical and pop worlds persisted. He remembered his love of writing essays and conducting deep research about music. That coincided with the growing popularity of podcasting, which had been around for a decade. It was the perfect medium, he felt, for long-form analysis of an audio art.    Cole is the host and creator of Dissect Podcast, a music podcast which debuted in 2016. The podcast is renowned for its in-depth analysis of contemporary music. Dissect was named "Best podcast of 2017" by Quartz, and the following year was named "Best podcast of 2018" by The New York Times. Additionally, both Time magazine and The Guardian listed Dissect as one of the top 50 podcasts of 2018. 2025 marks the 13th season of Dissect.  Listen to Dissect Podcast   Watch Dissect Podcast on Netflix   Dissect Podcast Homepage   Dissect Podcast Wikipedia   Review of Dissect Podcast   At about 2:55, Cole explains plans for Dissect Podcast on Netflix, coming soon! At about 4:40, Cole responds to Pete's question about his own love of hip hop and transformative and formative music for him  At about 6:50, Cole underscores the “shared community” of skating growing up that welcomed “rappers” and “rockers” At about 8:30, Robin Branson, who put Pete on to Dissect (thanks, Robin), asks Cole about his view of himself as an “educator” At about 12:35, the two discuss Cole's research process and ideas of knowing the artist and his/her art At about 15:45, Pete shares a profound quote from Cole about the essence of music and music fandom At about 16:15, Cole responds to Pete's question about how he listens to music differently (or not) since he has become  At about 17:20, Cole expands upon the genesis for the podcast, dealing with Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly and his daughter's birth At about 19:00, a discussion of possible future hip hop heads alludes to a classic video At about 20:00, Cole outlines his average research time and his early research in the early days of the podcast At about 20:45, Cole explains what skills he had already developed in college music composition, and what skills he has learned/used in doing the podcast At about 22:20, Cole responds to Pete's question about how he picks an album At about 25:00, Pete details some of the great “subtlety and nuance” on the podcast At about 26:45, Cole expands on one of the show's “inside jokes” At about 27:45, Pete brings up “syncopation” in Radiohead's work in asking Cole about he balances sonic and lyrical jargon with digestible information for people who are not necessarily students of music theory  At about 32:15, Cole responds to Pete's question about what it's like to work with experts on individual artists in crafting his seasons  At about 34:25, Cole and Pete discuss the “side projects” that Cole has done involving standout artists and songs At about 36:20, Cole reflects on contemporary artists and his willingness to stay open to new sounds and talents At about 40:20, Cole talks about cool and beneficial feedback from the artists profiled on the podcast At about 41:40, Cole responds to Pete asking about “surreal” moments he's experienced in doing the podcast and offshoot projects  At about 42:40, Manifesting for a future Cole interview with Kendrick! At about 43:20, Cole shouts out the rapper who has “sealed the deal” for him as the G.O.A.T. At about 44:25, When's Frank Ocean gonna drop?      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Jeff Pearlman, a recent guest, will be up at Chicago Review in the next week or so.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of children's literature on standout writers from the show, including Robert Jones, Jr. and Javier Zamora, as well as Pete's cherished relationship with Levar Burton, Reading Rainbow, and libraries.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 316 with Kiese Laymon, a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. He is the author of Long Division, which won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, named a notable book of 2021 by the New York Times critics. Laymon's bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Barnes and Noble Discovery Award, the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times.    The episode airs on January 6.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

The Author Events Series presents Tre Johnson in conversation with Reckon True Stories: Podcast hosts Kiese Laymon and Deesha Philyaw This event will be a live taping of the Reckon True Stories podcast. Black genius sits at the heart of the American story. In his probing essay collection, Black Genius, cultural critic Tre Johnson examines how Black American culture has, against all odds, been the lifeblood of American ingenuity. At times using his own personal and professional stories,  Johnson surveys Black cities, communities, and schools with an ever-watchful eye of what transpires around Black mobility. With a passion for complex storytelling and pulling from both pop culture and American history, Johnson weaves past and present making his case for the genius of innovation. As he examined his findings, Johnson couldn't help but wonder about the brilliance of the every day. Specifically, the creativity of the 90's graffiti-style airbrush tee, his aunties packed weekend bus trips to Atlantic city, and the razor-tongued, socially-sharp, profanity-laced monologues of comedian Dick Gregory. Again and again, he asks us to ponder-are these not obvious examples of genius? Chatty yet profound, Black Genius subverts expectations from the very first page with a blend of reportage, historical data, and pop culture as Johnson dives into his own family history seeking big answers to complex questions. Johnson's signature wit and curiosity turns history into an amusing sequence of events.  Tre Johnson was born in Trenton, NJ and now finds himself in Philadelphia, where he writes with a focus on race, culture and politics. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Vox, The New York Times, Slate, Vanity Fair, The Grio, and other outlets. He has appeared to provide media commentary on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon; CBS Morning Show; PBS NewsHour, NPR's Morning Edition, and other programs. In addition to writing, Tre is a career educator, beginning working both inside and outside in the classroom as a teacher and eventually as a leader in the sector.  Reckon True Stories is a celebration of new and classic nonfiction – the essays, journalism, and memoirs that inspire us, that change the world, and help us connect with each other. Join hosts and acclaimed authors Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Kiese Laymon (Heavy, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Long Division) for in-depth discussions about the stories we tell and how they impact our culture. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians. Books will be available for purchase at the library on event night! All tickets are non-refundable. (recorded 12/4/2025)

Notes and Links to Jackie Domenus' Work   Jackie Domenus (she/they) is a queer writer from South Jersey and the author of NO OFFENSE: A MEMOIR IN ESSAYS (2025), published with ELJ Editions. A 2021 Tin House Winter Workshop graduate, Jackie's essays have appeared in The HuffPost, The Offing Mag, The Normal School, Variant Lit, Entropy, Watershed Review, Wig-Wag, Philadelphia Stories, and HerStry, among other publications Their poetry has appeared in Hooligan Mag and Giving Room Mag. Her short story “Mirror Image” published in So To Speak, as well as her essay “Two Truths and a Lie” published in Identity Theory, were both nominated for a Pushcart Prize.    Jackie has formerly served as a publishing assistant at Guernica Magazine, an associate editor for Glassworks Magazine, and a contest coordinator for Philadelphia Stories. They work as the Program Director for Fellowships at Mid Atlantic Arts. Buy No Offense: A Memoir in Essays   Jackie's Website   Review of No Offense in The Rumpus: “Misperceptions, Assumptions, and Slurs: Jackie Domenus's No Offense” At about 3:45, Jackie talks about ideas of representation and reading as a kid-they highlight The Perks of Being a Wallflower At about 6:50, shout out to Shel Silverstein's feet (and writing)! At about 7:15, Jackie responds to Pete's questions about their early writing journey At about 9:45, Jackie reflects on writing as “cathartic” and "therapeutic," in certain conditions, and in some conditions, not so At about 12:20, Zoe Bossier, Kiese Laymon, Melissa Febos, and K.B. Brookins are shouted out as writers who thrill and challenge Jackie At about 14:05, Pete asks Jackie about their book's Foreword and the process in ultimately deciding to include early writing that had them in different and perhaps more privileged places At about 18:10, Pete and Jackie  At about 20:40, Jackie talks about interesting and fun feedback from readers At about 24:30, Jackie responds to Pete asking about early on in the book defining “microaggression” At about 26:15, Pete lays out the book's exposition in discussing the first essay of the book, and Jackie expands upon the essay's themes and connecting POVs At about 30:20, Jackie emphasizes their belief that any memoir, particularly queer and trans memoir, does not need to be linear At about 31:15, the two discuss the book's essay meditations on the uses of terms for men and women connected to dogs At about 33:15, Jackie responds to Pete's question about the anecdote in the essay where their dad broke down over the loss of the family dog At about 35:35, Jackie and Pete discuss Mary Poppins and heroes and queer people and their representations in media in Jackie's formative years   At about 39:00, The two discuss ignorance and ideas of “othering” as reflected in a resonant anecdote in the book about a trip to the OB/GYN At about 42:45, Pete uses an example from a Simpsons' episode in asking Jackie about the balance between educating and becoming a crutch for people looking for validation At about 46:50, Jackie expands upon the line from the book that their “coming out was not really a ‘coming out' ” At about 49:10, Jackie reflects on the material from the book's essay dealing with interpretations of queerness in Jennifer's Body, Girl, Interrupted, and Black Swan At about 53:15, Jackie discusses an essay that identifies three “first loves” and traces their outward sexuality At about 56:20, Pete compliments Jackie's use of second person, highlighting a beautiful imagined scene on Page 84, and Jackie talks about their mindset and aim for the essay At about 1:00:35, “Burden of Proof” and a student of Jackie's, Isaac's, moving experiences are discussed At about 1:04:50, Fear and the Trump era are discussed as rendered in the book, as well as Jackie's continuing "realization"    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 314 with Mariah Rigg. She is a Samoan-Haole who was born and raised on the island of O‘ahu. She is the author of the short story collection EXTINCTION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2025), which was listed a best book of 2025 by Esquire, Electric Lit, and Debutiful, and received praise from Vulture, Oprah Daily, Chicago Review of Books, Literary Hub, Autostraddle, Ms. Magazine, and more.    The episode airs on December 16.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

The text for today's episode is Conversations with Kiese Laymon, which is a new anthology of interviews with Laymon. My guests are Laymon himself, , a previous guest on the podcast and one of the best nonfiction writers of my generation, and the editor of the book, Constance Bailey.Laymon's memoir Heavy, which came out in 2018, was #60 on the New York Times list of the best hundred books of the 21st Century, and that really understates its brilliance. It's a pretty amazing book, which you should read. He is also the author of the novel Long Division and the essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. He has a new children's book out this year, City Summer, Country Summer, and is scheduled to have another memoir out next year, which is provisionally titled Good God. Constance Bailey is an assistant professor of African American literature and folklore at Georgia State University and, like Laymon, a native of Mississippi, though neither of them lives there now. Bailey's in Atlanta and Laymon, who did go back home for a number of years to teach at Old Miss, is now in Houston, where he has an endowed chair of English and creative writing at Rice University.We talk about the origins of the book, both in terms of how Bailey sold it, as a new installment in part of the University of Mississippi Press's storied “Literary Conversation” series, and why it was so appealing for Laymon to sign on (the series, as we learn in the conversation, was a meaningful influence on his development and self-conception as a young writer).We talk a lot about Mississippi itself and how it's affected both of their lives and writing. We talk about race, money, writing, speaking, and what it means to perform for white dollars. It's a good conversation—such a good conversation, in fact, that if anyone ever plans to do another collection of interviews with Kiese, they should let me know and I will send them the transcript of this conversation and give them permission to include it in their collection. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danieloppenheimer.substack.com/subscribe

This is a very special episode of the New Books Network, as the editor of Conversations with Kiese Laymon (UP of Mississippi, 2025), Dr. Constance Bailey, discusses the process of selecting, compiling, and publishing the volume with the subject himself, award-winning author, Kiese Laymon. Conversations with Kiese Laymon provides an in-depth look at Laymon as an educator, creative writer, activist, family member, and Mississippian. Interviews capture surprising insights into Laymon's life and craft. Within the book's pages, Laymon talks about his engagement with other writers, including Richard Wright, William Faulkner, and Eudora Welty. These revelations situate his memoir, Heavy, among other great Mississippi autobiographies and memoirs, such as Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi, Welty's One Writer's Beginnings, Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped, and Natasha Trethewey's Memorial Drive. In other interviews, he discusses his obsession with revision and deftly fields questions about pop culture, politics, and Black masculinity, along with a host of other pressing contemporary issues. As the first collection of its kind, Conversations with Kiese Laymon serves as the perfect introduction to studying Laymon. The cross section of interviews included reflects Laymon's humility, while simultaneously celebrating his accomplishments. Most importantly, the interviews reflect his stature as a major American literary figure. With topics ranging from hip-hop and family to politics and everything in between, Conversations provides an unfiltered look at the prolific Southern writer in his own words. And the same can be said of this episode. You can find Dr. Constance Bailey at her website, and on Instagram. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

This is a very special episode of the New Books Network, as the editor of Conversations with Kiese Laymon (UP of Mississippi, 2025), Dr. Constance Bailey, discusses the process of selecting, compiling, and publishing the volume with the subject himself, award-winning author, Kiese Laymon. Conversations with Kiese Laymon provides an in-depth look at Laymon as an educator, creative writer, activist, family member, and Mississippian. Interviews capture surprising insights into Laymon's life and craft. Within the book's pages, Laymon talks about his engagement with other writers, including Richard Wright, William Faulkner, and Eudora Welty. These revelations situate his memoir, Heavy, among other great Mississippi autobiographies and memoirs, such as Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi, Welty's One Writer's Beginnings, Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped, and Natasha Trethewey's Memorial Drive. In other interviews, he discusses his obsession with revision and deftly fields questions about pop culture, politics, and Black masculinity, along with a host of other pressing contemporary issues. As the first collection of its kind, Conversations with Kiese Laymon serves as the perfect introduction to studying Laymon. The cross section of interviews included reflects Laymon's humility, while simultaneously celebrating his accomplishments. Most importantly, the interviews reflect his stature as a major American literary figure. With topics ranging from hip-hop and family to politics and everything in between, Conversations provides an unfiltered look at the prolific Southern writer in his own words. And the same can be said of this episode. You can find Dr. Constance Bailey at her website, and on Instagram. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

This is a very special episode of the New Books Network, as the editor of Conversations with Kiese Laymon (UP of Mississippi, 2025), Dr. Constance Bailey, discusses the process of selecting, compiling, and publishing the volume with the subject himself, award-winning author, Kiese Laymon. Conversations with Kiese Laymon provides an in-depth look at Laymon as an educator, creative writer, activist, family member, and Mississippian. Interviews capture surprising insights into Laymon's life and craft. Within the book's pages, Laymon talks about his engagement with other writers, including Richard Wright, William Faulkner, and Eudora Welty. These revelations situate his memoir, Heavy, among other great Mississippi autobiographies and memoirs, such as Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi, Welty's One Writer's Beginnings, Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped, and Natasha Trethewey's Memorial Drive. In other interviews, he discusses his obsession with revision and deftly fields questions about pop culture, politics, and Black masculinity, along with a host of other pressing contemporary issues. As the first collection of its kind, Conversations with Kiese Laymon serves as the perfect introduction to studying Laymon. The cross section of interviews included reflects Laymon's humility, while simultaneously celebrating his accomplishments. Most importantly, the interviews reflect his stature as a major American literary figure. With topics ranging from hip-hop and family to politics and everything in between, Conversations provides an unfiltered look at the prolific Southern writer in his own words. And the same can be said of this episode. You can find Dr. Constance Bailey at her website, and on Instagram. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

This is a very special episode of the New Books Network, as the editor of Conversations with Kiese Laymon (UP of Mississippi, 2025), Dr. Constance Bailey, discusses the process of selecting, compiling, and publishing the volume with the subject himself, award-winning author, Kiese Laymon. Conversations with Kiese Laymon provides an in-depth look at Laymon as an educator, creative writer, activist, family member, and Mississippian. Interviews capture surprising insights into Laymon's life and craft. Within the book's pages, Laymon talks about his engagement with other writers, including Richard Wright, William Faulkner, and Eudora Welty. These revelations situate his memoir, Heavy, among other great Mississippi autobiographies and memoirs, such as Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi, Welty's One Writer's Beginnings, Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped, and Natasha Trethewey's Memorial Drive. In other interviews, he discusses his obsession with revision and deftly fields questions about pop culture, politics, and Black masculinity, along with a host of other pressing contemporary issues. As the first collection of its kind, Conversations with Kiese Laymon serves as the perfect introduction to studying Laymon. The cross section of interviews included reflects Laymon's humility, while simultaneously celebrating his accomplishments. Most importantly, the interviews reflect his stature as a major American literary figure. With topics ranging from hip-hop and family to politics and everything in between, Conversations provides an unfiltered look at the prolific Southern writer in his own words. And the same can be said of this episode. You can find Dr. Constance Bailey at her website, and on Instagram. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

This is a very special episode of the New Books Network, as the editor of Conversations with Kiese Laymon (UP of Mississippi, 2025), Dr. Constance Bailey, discusses the process of selecting, compiling, and publishing the volume with the subject himself, award-winning author, Kiese Laymon. Conversations with Kiese Laymon provides an in-depth look at Laymon as an educator, creative writer, activist, family member, and Mississippian. Interviews capture surprising insights into Laymon's life and craft. Within the book's pages, Laymon talks about his engagement with other writers, including Richard Wright, William Faulkner, and Eudora Welty. These revelations situate his memoir, Heavy, among other great Mississippi autobiographies and memoirs, such as Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi, Welty's One Writer's Beginnings, Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped, and Natasha Trethewey's Memorial Drive. In other interviews, he discusses his obsession with revision and deftly fields questions about pop culture, politics, and Black masculinity, along with a host of other pressing contemporary issues. As the first collection of its kind, Conversations with Kiese Laymon serves as the perfect introduction to studying Laymon. The cross section of interviews included reflects Laymon's humility, while simultaneously celebrating his accomplishments. Most importantly, the interviews reflect his stature as a major American literary figure. With topics ranging from hip-hop and family to politics and everything in between, Conversations provides an unfiltered look at the prolific Southern writer in his own words. And the same can be said of this episode. You can find Dr. Constance Bailey at her website, and on Instagram. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

This is a very special episode of the New Books Network, as the editor of Conversations with Kiese Laymon (UP of Mississippi, 2025), Dr. Constance Bailey, discusses the process of selecting, compiling, and publishing the volume with the subject himself, award-winning author, Kiese Laymon. Conversations with Kiese Laymon provides an in-depth look at Laymon as an educator, creative writer, activist, family member, and Mississippian. Interviews capture surprising insights into Laymon's life and craft. Within the book's pages, Laymon talks about his engagement with other writers, including Richard Wright, William Faulkner, and Eudora Welty. These revelations situate his memoir, Heavy, among other great Mississippi autobiographies and memoirs, such as Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi, Welty's One Writer's Beginnings, Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped, and Natasha Trethewey's Memorial Drive. In other interviews, he discusses his obsession with revision and deftly fields questions about pop culture, politics, and Black masculinity, along with a host of other pressing contemporary issues. As the first collection of its kind, Conversations with Kiese Laymon serves as the perfect introduction to studying Laymon. The cross section of interviews included reflects Laymon's humility, while simultaneously celebrating his accomplishments. Most importantly, the interviews reflect his stature as a major American literary figure. With topics ranging from hip-hop and family to politics and everything in between, Conversations provides an unfiltered look at the prolific Southern writer in his own words. And the same can be said of this episode. You can find Dr. Constance Bailey at her website, and on Instagram. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-south

Traversing teeming metropolises and tiny towns, Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Random House, 2025) explores these spaces, chronicling these Black bookstore's past and present lives. Combining narrative prose, eye-catching photography, one-on-one interviews, original essays, and specially curated poetry, Prose to the People is a reader's road trip companion to the world of Black books. Thoughtfully curated by writer and Black bookstore owner Katie Mitchell, Prose to the People is a must-have addition to the shelves of anyone who loves book culture and Black history. Though not a definitive guide, this dynamic book centers profiles of over fifty Black bookstores from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic, the South, and the West Coast, complete with stunning original and archival photography. Interspersed throughout are essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets that offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores' role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Traversing teeming metropolises and tiny towns, Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Random House, 2025) explores these spaces, chronicling these Black bookstore's past and present lives. Combining narrative prose, eye-catching photography, one-on-one interviews, original essays, and specially curated poetry, Prose to the People is a reader's road trip companion to the world of Black books. Thoughtfully curated by writer and Black bookstore owner Katie Mitchell, Prose to the People is a must-have addition to the shelves of anyone who loves book culture and Black history. Though not a definitive guide, this dynamic book centers profiles of over fifty Black bookstores from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic, the South, and the West Coast, complete with stunning original and archival photography. Interspersed throughout are essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets that offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores' role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Traversing teeming metropolises and tiny towns, Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Random House, 2025) explores these spaces, chronicling these Black bookstore's past and present lives. Combining narrative prose, eye-catching photography, one-on-one interviews, original essays, and specially curated poetry, Prose to the People is a reader's road trip companion to the world of Black books. Thoughtfully curated by writer and Black bookstore owner Katie Mitchell, Prose to the People is a must-have addition to the shelves of anyone who loves book culture and Black history. Though not a definitive guide, this dynamic book centers profiles of over fifty Black bookstores from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic, the South, and the West Coast, complete with stunning original and archival photography. Interspersed throughout are essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets that offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores' role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Traversing teeming metropolises and tiny towns, Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores (Random House, 2025) explores these spaces, chronicling these Black bookstore's past and present lives. Combining narrative prose, eye-catching photography, one-on-one interviews, original essays, and specially curated poetry, Prose to the People is a reader's road trip companion to the world of Black books. Thoughtfully curated by writer and Black bookstore owner Katie Mitchell, Prose to the People is a must-have addition to the shelves of anyone who loves book culture and Black history. Though not a definitive guide, this dynamic book centers profiles of over fifty Black bookstores from the Northeast to the mid-Atlantic, the South, and the West Coast, complete with stunning original and archival photography. Interspersed throughout are essays, poems, and interviews by New York Times bestsellers Kiese Laymon, Rio Cortez, Pearl Cleage, and many more journalists, activists, authors, academics, and poets that offer deeper perspectives on these bookstores' role throughout the diaspora. Complete with a foreword by world-renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, Prose to the People is a beautiful tribute to these vital pillars of the Black community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Kiese Laymon and Alexis Franklin about their new picture book, City Summer, Country Summer. It's a story about an up north city kid who goes down south to visit his country cousins for the summer. In our conversation, Kiese & Alexis discuss how they were able to explore in their own ways what intimacy looks like between young Black boys. Plus, how this story puts the harmful narrative of pause no homo” on notice. And what they've been able to give school children across the country by honoring the child in all of us. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

Sign up for Nature's newsletter: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/newsletter/ Growing up, Kiese Laymon thought of himself as a city kid. But he spent his childhood with a foot in two worlds: his mom's house in the capital city of Jackson, Mississippi and his grandma's house in a rural country town. It wasn't until Kiese left Mississippi that he came to understand that this question of city vs. country meant a lot more. It carries a lot of baggage: the tensions between north and south, tectonic historical forces, and the contradictions of life in Mississippi. In this episode from Outside/In, a podcast where curiosity and the natural world collide, producer Justine Paradis sits down with author Kiese Laymon, for a conversation on this question of country versus city, what that has to do with the history of Black life in this country, and the story of Kiese's first children's picture book, his latest in a lifelong exploration of a complicated love of Mississippi. To hear more episodes from Outside/In, follow them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the finer practice of friendship, tending to ourselves in order to be present, and learning what it means to be a good friend.  (0:00) - Introduction and Author Background (2:48) - Discussion on the Book's Title and Theme (5:02) - Reflections on Meredith's Role in the Book (7:56) - Navigating Joy and Sorrow in Friendships (12:45) - Exploring Spirituality and Recovery (16:13) - Healing and Overcoming Envy (21:05) - Supporting a Friend Through Illness (26:39) - Maintaining Friendships After Loss Christie Tate is a Chicago-based writer and essayist. She has been published in The New York Times (Modern Love), The Rumpus, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Eastern Iowa Review and elsewhere. Kiese Laymon selected her essay, Promised Lands, as the winner of the New Ohio Review's nonfiction contest, which was published Fall 2019. In this episode, we discuss B.F.F., her latest book, which strikes a deep chord of love and understanding.

Growing up, Kiese Laymon thought of himself as a city kid. But he spent his childhood with a foot in two worlds: his mom's house in the capital city of Jackson, Mississippi and his grandma's house in a rural country town.It wasn't until Kiese left Mississippi that he came to understand that this question of city versus country actually meant a lot more. It carries a lot of baggage: the tensions between north and south, tectonic historical forces, and the contradictions of life in Mississippi.In this episode, our producer Justine Paradis sits down with writer Kiese Laymon for a conversation on this question of country versus city, what that has to do with the history of Black life in this country, and the story of Kiese's first children's picture book, his latest in a lifelong exploration of a complicated love of Mississippi.Featuring Kiese Laymon.Produced by Justine Paradis. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORTTo share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, call the show's hotline and leave us a voicemail. The number is 1-844-GO-OTTER. No question is too serious or too silly.Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram, BlueSky, Tiktok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKSKiese Laymon's first children's book, City Summer, Country Summer. If you'd like to read more by Kiese, we recommend “Da Art of Storytellin' (A Prequel)”, his essay about Outkast, his grandmother, and stank. (Oxford American)Kiese adapted City Summer, Country Summer from this 2020 prose-poem essay. (New York Times)

Daria Burke is an author, executive, and healer-at-heart. She's also a grandchild grieving for her grandmother and a daughter estranged from her parents. In this episode, Daria shares the profound impact of losing her maternal grandmother at age seven and how that early loss reverberated through her life. This loss and grief exist alongside the immense healing she's done around growing up in poverty, childhood trauma, and her parents' absences, addictions, and the eventual estrangement from them. With the recent release of her memoir, Of My Own Making, Daria opens up about the moment, decades later, that reawakened the grief for her grandmother - finding a newspaper article about her fatal car accident. That discovery, and ensuing grief, started a new chapter in Daria's healing process. In our conversation, we talk about inherited trauma, the emotional weight of estrangement, the invisible grief of childhood neglect, Daria's healing practices, and how she  stays connected to her grandmother through what she calls “love taps.” Key Topics: What role Daria's grandmother played in her early childhood The ongoing impacts of childhood grief and unprocessed trauma How truth-telling is part of healing The collective grief she grew up around in Detroit of the 1980's Uncovering the grief she buried after her grandmother died Grieving for family members who are still alive Grief Practices Daria Shares: Giving herself permission to cry freely Meditative practices to connect with her grandmother Volunteering on holidays and creating new rituals Finding signs from her grandmother in the world around her Daria Burke is an American writer, speaker and award-winning business leader. A marketer by trade and a seeker at heart, Daria is a storyteller and sense-maker, weaving together personal experience and the science of healing and transformation to explore new ways of understanding how we choose who we become. This passion led her to complete Dr. Tara Swart's Neuroscience for Business course at MIT and Positive Psychology and Well-Being at Stanford, taught by Dr. Daryn Reicherter, an international expert in trauma psychiatry.  Her debut memoir, OF MY OWN MAKING (April 2025) explores trauma, neuroplasticity, and Post-Traumatic Growth through the lens of her own healing journey. Kiese Laymon called it “as profound a book about the treacherous experience of befriending ourselves as I've read this decade.” Part memoir, part methodology, OF MY OWN MAKING blends personal narrative with scientific insight, Daria inspires readers to reimagine the narratives that define their lives. Connect with Daria: Website: www.dariaburke.com Instagram: @dariaburke Resources & Links: Dougy Center: www.dougy.org Email the show: griefoutloud@dougy.org Production Note: Grief Out Loud is produced by Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families, and is supported in part by The Chester Stephan Endowment Fund.

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, we are joined once again by author Kiese Laymon, to discuss his first children's book, City Summer, Country Summer, and the emotional resonance of sports narratives. We also share how we're staying human in the midst of so much inhumanity.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/4/18/tsu-45-kiese-laymonConnect with Kiese: Twitter | Instagram | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribePurchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two new picture books explore how the outside world can transform our relationships with our communities and ourselves. First, Kiese Laymon is out with a children's book about three Black boys who connect during a transformative summer in the South. With City Summer, Country Summer, Laymon says he wanted to explore the experience of getting lost as a kind of experimentation. In today's episode, the author speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about his wish to write a book about the emotional tenderness of Black boys. Then, The Littlest Drop is Sascha Alper's debut children's book, based on a parable from the indigenous Quechua people of South America. Brian Pinkney took over illustrations for the project after his father, Jerry Pinkney, died in 2020. In today's episode, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe brings Alper and Brian Pinkney together in conversation. The author and illustrator discuss the collaboration between father and son and Alper's desire to broaden the story beyond the climate crisis.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

No matter the question, reading is the answer. And in a year starting off like 2025 is, we certainly need a lot of answers to life's questions.I am thrilled to welcome fellow Angeleno bookworm Traci Thomas (host of The Stacks podcast) to talk about the most anticipated new book releases of 2025. We talk about novels and nonfiction by debut and beloved authors publishing this year and sorry not sorry about this conversation that will send your book budget soaring. There are so many good books to look forward to in the next six months.Also in this episode, Traci really gives me a lot to think about in terms of how we talk about books and why it's okay to be publicly critical of books that don't work for us. As an author who is jumpy about that concept, Traci really shifted my perspective on this.You can listen to Traci on The Stacks podcastYou can follow Traci on IGYou can read Traci on her substack UnstackedYou can join Traci's PatreonFULL SHOW NOTES HEREJOIN THE SECRET STUFF BOOK CLUBMOST ANTICIPATED 2025 BOOKS:January Books:Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani PerryWitchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady HendrixFebruary Books:Pure Innocent Fun: Essays by Ira Madison IIIShow Don't Tell by Curtis SittenfeldDeath Takes Me by Cristina Rivera GarzaOne Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El AkkadMarch Books:Hot Air by Marcy DermanskyI'll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan by Giaae KwonThere is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian GoldstoneApril Books:Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life by Maggie SmithThe Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika JaouadAuthority: Essays by Andrea Long ChuMay Books:Love and Exile by Shon FayeThe Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s by Paul ElieJune Books:Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins ReidWeepers by Peter MendelsunALSO MENTIONED in this episode:Sara Hildreth of Fiction MattersEpisode 122 of The Stacks Podcast with Kiese Laymon, Breathe by Imani Perry Book ClubEpisode 222: Stephen King Starter Kit Part IIThe Keep It PodcastRead Traci's Most Anticipated List of 2025 with a different set of books than she talks about hereSuleika Jaouad's Substack, The Isolation JournalsMORE BOOKS mentioned in this episode:Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson South to America by Imani PerryVexy Thing: On Gender and Liberation by Imani PerryMay We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem by Imani PerryBreathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani PerryBetween the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi CoatesLooking for Lorraine by Imani PerryThe Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady HendrixHow to Sell a Haunted House by Grady HendrixRomantic Comedy by Curtis SittenfeldAmerican Wife by Curtis SittenfeldYou Like It Darker by Stephen KingLiliana's Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera GarzaAmerican War by Omar El AkkadEvicted by Matthew DesmondReagan: His Life and Legend by Max BootYou Can Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika JaouadThe Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika JaouadBeloved by Toni MorrisonThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an episode!CLICK HERE for episode show notesFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on InstagramFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on FacebookSIGN UP for episode emails, links, and show notesJOIN Laura Tremaine's SECRET SUBSTACKBUY THE BOOK: Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. by Laura TremaineBUY THE BOOK: The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No matter the question, reading is the answer. And in a year starting off like 2025 is, we certainly need a lot of answers to life's questions. I am thrilled to welcome fellow Angeleno bookworm Traci Thomas (host of The Stacks podcast) to talk about the most anticipated new book releases of 2025. We talk about novels and nonfiction by debut and beloved authors publishing this year and sorry not sorry about this conversation that will send your book budget soaring. There are so many good books to look forward to in the next six months. Also in this episode, Traci really gives me a lot to think about in terms of how we talk about books and why it's okay to be publicly critical of books that don't work for us. As an author who is jumpy about that concept, Traci really shifted my perspective on this. You can listen to Traci on The Stacks podcast You can follow Traci on IG You can read Traci on her substack Unstacked You can join Traci's Patreon FULL SHOW NOTES HERE JOIN THE SECRET STUFF BOOK CLUB MOST ANTICIPATED 2025 BOOKS: January Books: Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix February Books: Pure Innocent Fun: Essays by Ira Madison III Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld Death Takes Me by Cristina Rivera Garza One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad March Books: Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky I'll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan by Giaae Kwon There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone April Books: Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life by Maggie Smith The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad Authority: Essays by Andrea Long Chu May Books: Love and Exile by Shon Faye The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s by Paul Elie June Books: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Weepers by Peter Mendelsun ALSO MENTIONED in this episode: Sara Hildreth of Fiction Matters Episode 122 of The Stacks Podcast with Kiese Laymon, Breathe by Imani Perry Book Club Episode 222: Stephen King Starter Kit Part II The Keep It Podcast Read Traci's Most Anticipated List of 2025 with a different set of books than she talks about here Suleika Jaouad's Substack, The Isolation Journals MORE BOOKS mentioned in this episode: Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson  South to America by Imani Perry Vexy Thing: On Gender and Liberation by Imani Perry May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem by Imani Perry Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Looking for Lorraine by Imani Perry The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld You Like It Darker by Stephen King Liliana's Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera Garza American War by Omar El Akkad Evicted by Matthew Desmond Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot You Can Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith  Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad Beloved by Toni Morrison The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid   SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an episode! CLICK HERE for episode show notes FOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on Instagram FOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on Facebook SIGN UP for episode emails, links, and show notes JOIN Laura Tremaine's SECRET SUBSTACK BUY THE BOOK: Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. by Laura Tremaine BUY THE BOOK: The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The international bestselling author returns to the Walsh family in her latest novel My Favorite Mistake; Bridget Raymundo shares what books the internet was loving this year; the book that defines “genre-bending” to Matthew R. Morris, a Juno Award-winning jazz singer who loves to birdwatch; and remembering celebrated Canadian thriller author Andrew Pyper on this episode of The Next Chapter.Books discussed in this episode include:Collide by Bal KhabraI Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham JonesA Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose SutherlandHeavy: An American Memoir by Kiese LaymonThe Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon chat with the hilarious and multitalented Samantha Irby, author of multiple wickedly funny essay collections, as well as writer for multiple television series. Samantha talks about her own confidence and how she's able to write guiltless memoir pieces. She distinguishes between the experiences of watching what she's written versus reading what she's written. Has she bougie-ed out of her past? And, of course, what are the ins and outs of comedy-writing? Can it be taught? What are the industry-wide issues with gatekeeping? And who do you write to?  Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned bitches gotta eat! (Samantha Irby blog) “My Mother, My Daughter” (Samantha Irby, The Rumpus 2012) We Are Never Meeting In Real Life (Samantha Irby) Meaty (Samantha Irby) New Year, Same Trash (Samantha Irby) Wow, No Thank You (Samantha Irby) Quietly Hostile (Samantha Irby) Watch List: Shrill And Just Like That: Sex and the City Tuca and Bertie Atlanta Mea Culpa Paul Mooney Mike Epps Mo'Nique Shirley Hemphill Nell Carter Listening List: “Upgrade U” (Beyoncé) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon dig into a classic essay by Toni Morrison, “The Work You Do, the Person You Are,” published in The New Yorker in May 2017. They talk about labor and self-identity — how our feelings of worth can become so closely tied to the work we do, in ways that can become unhealthy, both in the corporate world and in the art we create.  Kiese Laymon: “Without labor and work, I don't know who I am. And I think that's terrifying.”  Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned “The Work You Do, the Person You Are” Toni Morrison (The New Yorker, 2017) Daddy Was a Number Runner (Louise Meriwether, 1970) “On Writing and the Business of Writing” (Carmen Maria Machado, 2022) Playing in the Dark (Toni Morrison, 1992) "The Cask of Amontillado" (Edgar Allan Poe, 1846) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) City Summer, Country Summer (Kiese Laymon & Alexis Franklin) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

On this episode of #velshibannedbookclub, Kiese Laymon joins MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi to discuss his banned book "Heavy." Because of its unflinching look at the messiness and weight of love, Laymon's book was banned in Mississippi (right alongside Toni Morrison's work). 

On the latest episode of Reckon True Stories, Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon are joined by MacArthur Genius and National Book Award Winner Dr. Imani Perry to discuss genre, personal stories and the ethical commitment to those we write about, the utilization of craft to bring the reader close to the experience and the body, the body as political, Black women and silence, mobility, music, and mothering.  They ask the question of what we owe of ourselves as writers — and particularly Black writers— to our audience, and they explore what it looks like to maintain boundaries, to self-preserve, and to rest. In Kiese's words, he calls it learning “the art of not just no, but not now.” Kiese praises Dr. Perry on how she has never written the same kind of book twice, and in this episode, she talks about her inspirations, how she chooses what to write towards, and what questions she is consistently leaning into in her work. Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned South to America (Imani Perry) Breathe: A Letter To My Sons (Imani Perry) Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop (Imani Perry) Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry (Imani Perry) May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem (Imani Perry) Percival Everett A Dangerously High Threshold for Pain (Imani Perry) Alice Walker Nikky Finney “She Changed Black Literature Forever. Then She Disappeared.” (Imani Perry, New York Times 2021) “‘Palmares' Is An Example Of What Grows When Black Women Choose Silence” (Deesha Philyaw, Electric Literature 2021) Palmares (Gayl Jones) Robert Stepto Hazel Carby Zora Neale Hurston Katherine Dunham Moms Mabley 1000 Words (Jami Attenberg) Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against “The Apocalypse” (Emily Raboteau) How To Live Free In A Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir (Shayla Lawson) A Mercy (Toni Morrison) Listening List: Nina Simone Miles Davis “Nobody's Supposed To Be Here” (Deborah Cox) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) City Summer, Country Summer (Kiese Laymon & Alexis Franklin) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon discuss the “manosphere,” — specifically how Black men show up in the space of it, and how Black women respond to it. Deesha talks about a “de-centering of romance” and recognition that women have come to see that their lives are full and beautiful without being partnered with a man who does not listen to or respect them.  They are interested in the deconstruction of the notions of masculinity, of repair and accountability, and of the homosociality/eroticism of the manosphere, as well as the pulling away of intimacy between cishet men. And they discuss what the work might look like. Therapy, radical change, deconstructing notions of masculinity, and possibly even retiring the terms “masculinity” and “femininity” altogether. Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned “My Brush with the Black Manosphere” (Nicole Young, Elle 2022) Warsan Shire Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man (Steve Harvey) bell hooks Audrey Lorde “Men are lost. Here's a map out of the wilderness.” (Christine Emba, The Washington Post 2023) “How To Be A Better Man Right Now” (Jeff Gordinier, Esquire 2024) Listening List: Jokes On You (podcast hosted by Mel Mitchell and Talle) “The disappearance of men” (Christine Emba, YouTube 2024) Instagram Reel by Ari Jai More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon sit down with Minda Honey to discuss her recently published memoir, The Heartbreak Years, and the role that Honey's own experiences, and the stories told to her by family, have had on shaping her work.  With her debut, Honey — who also edits Black Joy at Reckon — was praised for her ability to linger in the body and the desires of a Black woman while also seamlessly moving through not just place, but time. As Kiese Laymon says, “I actually thought what Minda was doing was like a new kind of travel writing. And so I was just so excited when everybody got to read it.” Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned The Heartbreak Years (Minda Honey) “The Reality of Dating All Men When You're Black” (Minda Honey, Gawker 2014) “Woman of Color in Wide Open Spaces” (Minda Honey, Longreads 2017) Black Joy at Reckon Cheryl Strayed's Dear Sugar Sari Botton Sweet Valley High Series (Francine Pascal) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Mildred D. Taylor) Milk Blood Heat (Dantiel Moniz) “On Being Black in Kentucky and Charles Booker's Historic Run for Senate” (Minda Honey, Salon 2020) Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghost (Crystal Wilkinson) Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston) “Writing for the Bad Faith Reader” (Susie Dumond, Melissa Febos, BookRiot 2023) Danielle Buckingham  “A Farewell to Fuckboys in the Age of Consent Culture” (Minda Honey, Longreads 2018) Listening List: “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (Lauryn Hill) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon chat with writer Alexander Chee, author of Edinburgh, The Queen of the Night, and How to Write an Autobiographical Novel. The three writers talk about their journeys in the publishing industry, and what success has meant to each of them, specifically in regards to money. They discuss Chee's essay, “My Inheritance Was My Father's Last Lesson To Me,” where he writes about his relationship to money, how it changes over time, and what the relationship between anxiety, money, and body looks like.  Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays (Alexander Chee) “How to Unlearn Everything” (Alexander Chee, Vulture 2019) Edinburgh (Alexander Chee) The Queen of the Night (Alexander Chee) Other Peoples' Husbands (forthcoming by Alexander Chee) “When Horror is the Truth-Teller” (Alexander Chee, Guernica 2023) “My Inheritance Was My Father's Last Lesson To Me, And I Am Still Learning It” (Alexander Chee, Buzzfeed 2018) Damon Young “Storycraft: Point of Telling” (Junot Diaz, StoryWorlds 2023) Jesus' Son (Denis Johnson) The Children's Hospital (Chris Adrian) The War: A Memoir (Marguerite Duras) Sarah Schulman The Book of Love (Kelly Link) Enter Ghost (Isabella Hammad) Notes from an Island (Tove Jansson) The Moomins and the Great Flood (Tove Jansson) Same Bed Different Dreams (Ed Park) Listening List: Luther Vandross Favorite Albums of Each Year (Hanif Abdurraqib, Medium, 2016 - 2023) CCFX Lil Nas X Yeah Yeah Yeahs Omar Apollo Billie Eilish Nicki Minaj Japanese Breakfast Angel Olsen U.S. Girls Wet Leg More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon discuss the complicated process of writing about family — specifically parents. They talk about the ways parents fail, how they disappoint, but why it is important, and necessary when writing about family and those we love, to give them grace, and allow them the room to make mistakes. They ask the question, What do we owe to those we write about? And they call for writers to be guided, first and foremost, by love.  Deesha and Kiese talk about their own relationships with their parents, the processing and tending to those relationships, and how they moved through feelings of shame and anger while working through layers of grief.  Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned Heavy (Kiese Laymon) “Snap” (Deesha Philyaw, Pipe Wrench Magazine 2021) “How Can You Be Mad At Someone Who's Dying Of Cancer?” (Deesha Philyaw, Full Grown People 2015) “Whiting” (Deesha Philyaw, Short Reads 2023) “These Are Your Memories” (Kiese's mother's letter, 2018)  “If We Can Soar: What Birmingham Roller Pigeons Offer the Men of South Central” (Shanna B. Tiayon, Pipe Wrench Magazine 2021) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

This week on Black & Published we're introducing you to a new show that we love, Reckon True Stories hosted by acclaimed authors Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon. Guests for Season One include writers Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Alexander Chee, Minda Honey, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Samantha Irby. Reckon True Stories is a celebration of new and classic nonfiction – the essays, journalism, and memoirs that inspire us, that change the world, and help us connect with each other. Show credits: Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark ArmstrongAssociate producer: Marina LeighEpisode editor: Kelly ArajaProduced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon News. Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. NaveUrsa Executive Producers: Dawnie Walton, Deesha Philyaw, and Mark ArmstrongSupport the Show.Follow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

In the premiere episode of Reckon True Stories, co-hosts and acclaimed authors Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Kiese Laymon (Heavy, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Long Division) come together to kick off a season where nonfiction takes the spotlight. They talk about their own journeys to writing nonfiction, the distinctions they make between their essay writing and fiction writing, as well as how they came to collaborate and work together in the publishing industry.  Deesha and Kiese discuss writing on their own terms, revising their own ideas of what an essay is “supposed” to do or look like, and putting themselves back into the writing, while also exploring what makes for a compelling essay — calling for the writer to not lose the storytelling aspect in their nonfiction work. Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned Robert Jones Jr. The Fire This Time (Jesmyn Ward) Becoming (Michelle Obama) Damon Young Emma Carmichael “The Girl Is Mine” (Deesha Philyaw, Literary Mama 2004) Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce  Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison) “The Charge of the Light Brigade” (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poetry Foundation) “Annabel Lee” (Edgar Allan Poe, Poetry Foundation) Yusef Komunyakaa  How to Sit (Tyrese Coleman) “Water Come Back To You: On Trying To Write About Love” (Deesha Philyaw, Split Lip Mag 2021) “Whiting” (Deesha Philyaw, Short Reads 2023) “The 13 Guys You'll Meet On A Dating App” (Deesha Philyaw, Medium 2019) “If He Hollers Let Him Go” (Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, The Believer 2013) “The Case for Reparations” (Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic 2014) “I Called Out American Dirt's Racism. I Won't Be Silenced.” (Myriam Gurba, Vox 2020) Creep: Accusations and Confessions (Myriam Gurba) “On No Longer Being A Hysterical Woman” (Nafissa Thompson-Spires, The Paris Review 2020) Oldster (Sari Botton) “Feral” (Staci Greason, Oldster 2023) Memoir Monday Electric Literature More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Dawnie Walton and Deesha Philyaw introduce us to Reckon True Stories, a brand new podcast hosted by Deesha and acclaimed author Kiese Laymon, dedicated to all things nonfiction. Listen, then follow the show in your favorite podcast so you don't miss an episode: https://link.chtbl.com/truestories Guests for Season One include writers Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Alexander Chee, Minda Honey, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Samantha Irby. Produced in partnership with Reckon. We'll also have more episodes of Ursa Short Fiction coming this fall! Sign up for email updates: https://ursastory.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

This week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Deesha Philyaw, author of “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” and Kiese Laymon, author of books including “Heavy” and “Long Division.” They're teaming up for a new podcast on nonfiction writing, and they have lots of thoughts about it.

Reckon and Ursa Story Company are proud to present Reckon True Stories, a new podcast hosted by acclaimed authors Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Kiese Laymon (Heavy, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Long Division), all about the stories we tell and how they impact our culture.  Guests for Season One include writers Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Alexander Chee, Minda Honey, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Samantha Irby.  Reckon True Stories is a celebration of new and classic nonfiction – the essays, journalism, and memoirs that inspire us, that change the world, and help us connect with each other.

In this episode, Kiese Laymon (author of Long Division, How to Slowly Kill Yourself in America, and Heavy: An American Memoir) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to convince your strict religious parents to let you go to an out-of-state college, whether to report a coworker's insensitive gym behavior to HR, and how to deal with a mom who forgets to take her medication and immediately uses a racial slur. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate's membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It's just $15 for your first three months. This podcast is produced by Se'era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kiese Laymon (author of Long Division, How to Slowly Kill Yourself in America, and Heavy: An American Memoir) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to convince your strict religious parents to let you go to an out-of-state college, whether to report a coworker's insensitive gym behavior to HR, and how to deal with a mom who forgets to take her medication and immediately uses a racial slur. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate's membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It's just $15 for your first three months. This podcast is produced by Se'era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kiese Laymon (author of Long Division, How to Slowly Kill Yourself in America, and Heavy: An American Memoir) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to convince your strict religious parents to let you go to an out-of-state college, whether to report a coworker's insensitive gym behavior to HR, and how to deal with a mom who forgets to take her medication and immediately uses a racial slur. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate's membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It's just $15 for your first three months. This podcast is produced by Se'era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kiese Laymon (author of Long Division, How to Slowly Kill Yourself in America, and Heavy: An American Memoir) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to convince your strict religious parents to let you go to an out-of-state college, whether to report a coworker's insensitive gym behavior to HR, and how to deal with a mom who forgets to take her medication and immediately uses a racial slur. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate's membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It's just $15 for your first three months. This podcast is produced by Se'era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kiese Laymon (author of Long Division, How to Slowly Kill Yourself in America, and Heavy: An American Memoir) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to convince your strict religious parents to let you go to an out-of-state college, whether to report a coworker's insensitive gym behavior to HR, and how to deal with a mom who forgets to take her medication and immediately uses a racial slur. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate's membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It's just $15 for your first three months. This podcast is produced by Se'era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Movement Made Us takes literature to a momentous Southern Black space to which I honestly never thought a book could take us. This is literally the Movement that made us and both Davids love us whole here with a creation that is as ingenious as it is soulfully sincere. Stunning."--Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy. A dynamic family exchange that pivots between the voices of a father and son, The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride (Harper, 2022) is a unique work of oral history and memoir, chronicling the extraordinary story of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and its living legacy embodied in Black Lives Matter. David Dennis Sr, a core architect of the movement, speaks out for the first time, swapping recollections both harrowing and joyful with David Jr, a journalist working on the front lines of change today. Taken together, their stories paint a critical portrait of America, casting one nation's image through the lens of two individual Black men and their unique relationship. Playful and searching, anxious and restorative, fearless and driving, this intimate memoir features scenes from across David Sr's life, as he becomes involved in the movement, tries to move beyond it, and ultimately returns to it to find final solace and new sense of self--revealing a survivor who travels eternally with a cabal of ghosts. A crucial addition to Civil Rights history, The Movement Made Us is the story of a nation reckoning with change and the hopes, struggles, setbacks, and triumphs of modern Black life. This is it: the extant chronicle of why we live, why we move, and for what we are made. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

*patron-only bonus episode teaser*We're back with friend of The Stacks, Kiese Laymon, with audio from the second New York live show on our national tour. Kiese discusses writing about real people in his life, and reveals what he would change about his memoir Heavy if he could revise it. Plus, we talk about first kisses, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift.*This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon. To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, click the link below.JOIN THE STACKS PACK TO LISTENYou can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/12/08/tsu-28-nyc-tour-2Connect with Kiese: Instagram | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | SubscribeSUPPORT THE STACKSJoin The Stacks Pack on PatreonPurchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week's guests are the coeditors (and contributors to) Letters to a Writer of Color. Listen in to hear the profound insights and inspirational origin story that led to Deepa Anappara and Taymour Soomro's collaboration on their powerful anthology. Contributors to this collection include Kiese Laymon, Myriam Gurba, Madeleine Thien, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, and others. Our conversation this week circles how writers of color write and talk about and translate their experiences, the ways writers can get hemmed in and how they refuse to be hemmed in, and also the power of commonalities across experiences, even when those experiences are so varied. Not to be missed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's guests are the coeditors (and contributors to) Letters to a Writer of Color. Listen in to hear the profound insights and inspirational origin story that led to Deepa Anappara and Taymour Soomro's collaboration on their powerful anthology. Contributors to this collection include Kiese Laymon, Myriam Gurba, Madeleine Thien, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, and others. Our conversation this week circles how writers of color write and talk about and translate their experiences, the ways writers can get hemmed in and how they refuse to be hemmed in, and also the power of commonalities across experiences, even when those experiences are so varied. Not to be missed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*patron-only bonus episode teaser*This Unabridged is a conversation with author and friend of The Stacks Kiese Laymon from our early show in New York City. We hear from Kiese about how he knows when his work is ready for an audience, and get intel on his forthcoming book. We also get into sports, hot topics, and the unmatched confidence of New Yorkers.*This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon. To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, click the link below.JOIN THE STACKS PACK TO LISTENYou can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://thestackspodcast.com/2023/11/24/tsu-27-nyc-tour-1Connect with Kiese: Instagram | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | SubscribeSUPPORT THE STACKSJoin The Stacks Pack on PatreonPurchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.