Heavy: An American Memoir w/ Kiese Laymon

I chat with the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Award winner for Non-Fiction, Kiese Laymon about his memoir, Heavy. Laymon talks about his formative years in Mississippi and how it influenced his writing. We also go back and forth about our experiences as young black opinion page editors for our respective Southern liberal arts colleges' (Millsaps and Hendrix)student newspapers. Heavy is a memoir that not only tells the story of its author, but serves as a writ large example of America. The weight of lies, abuse and the struggle for ideals is a massive and cumbersome burden for not only one man, but also the nation.