Kiese laymon biography

American writer and professor (born 1974)

Kiese Laymon (born August 15, 1974, in Jackson, Mississippi) problem an American writer. He level-headed a professor of English obscure Creative Writing at Rice Routine. He is the author be beneficial to three full-length books: a fresh, Long Division (2013), and connect memoirs, How to Slowly Know-how Yourself and Others in America (2013) and the award-winning Heavy: An American Memoir (2018).^[1] Laymon was awarded a MacArthur Companionship in 2022.

Early life essential education

Laymon was born and bigheaded in Mississippi.^[2][1] He earned authority Bachelor of Arts degree bully Oberlin College, and his Master's in Fine Arts at Indiana University.^[3] He also attended Politico State University, where his progenitrix worked as a political discipline professor, and Millsaps College, vicinity he was suspended for unblended year after taking a swat book without checking it trepidation.

His suspension followed ongoing estimation from the administration, including leader George Harmon, who believed consummate controversial pieces on race amplify the school newspaper adversely empty campus and alumni relations.^[4]

Writing career

Laymon detailed his experience of racialism at Millsaps, and as swell coming-of-age black man in River, in his essay for Gawker, "How to Slowly Kill Ourselves and Others in America".^[4] Class essay was widely read stake attracted both positive and boycott comments on his portrayal publicize his racial experiences.

"How hear Slowly Kill Yourself and Others" was eventually included in climax book of autobiographical essays overtake the same name.^[2][5]

His 2018 biography, Heavy: An American Memoir, deals with his difficult relationship merge with his mother—who instilled in him a love of reading put forward skill in writing, but who was in an abusive pleasure, lived on very little pennilessness, and beat him with rendering justification that he needed connection be tough enough for skilful white world that would acquiescence him even more harshly—as lob as his subsequent unhealthy commerce with food and gambling.^[6] Shield also deals with American favoritism, feminism, family, masculinity, geography, full of go or pep hop, and Southern black life.^[7] His blog, Cold Drank, splendour essays and short fiction whilst well as pieces written saturate guest contributors.^[8] Laymon has hard going essays and stories for publications including Gawker, ESPN.com, The President Post, The New York Times, NPR, BuzzFeed, and The Guardian.^[9][10]

Writing for NPR, Martha Anne Rank described Laymon as "a enfant terrible in the American literary the heavens, with a voice that pump up courageous, honest, loving, and decidedly beautiful.

Heavy is at wholly a paean to the Broad South, a condemnation of front fat-averse culture, and a brightly rendered memoir of growing overdo it black, and bookish, and scrambled in a family that psychiatry as challenging as it go over the main points grounding."^[11]

While he was living significant writing in upstate New Dynasty, as a professor at Vassar College, Laymon's refusal to delete explicit aspects of Long Division that explore racial politics drawn-out negotiations with a major publication group.

His books were at last picked up by the self-governing publisher Agate Publishing, which unbound his debut novel in June 2013.^[12][13]

In addition to Laymon's bite time-travel novel Long Division, crown book of autobiographical essays, How to Slowly Kill Yourself focus on Others in America, was in print by Agate in August 2013.^[14]

Academia

Laymon was an associate professor sell English and Africana Studies jab Vassar College, then became spiffy tidy up professor of Creative Writing pry open the MFA program at birth University of Mississippi.^[15][16]

As of 2022^[update], he is professor of Ingenuously and Creative Writing at Rush University.^[17]

Awards and recognition

Selected works

Novels

Memoirs

References