Kiese Laymon at WIU

MACOMB, IL -- African-American writer Kiese Laymon spoke at Western Illinois University on Nov. 29, and read from his forthcoming memoir Heavy.

Laymon is the author of a novel, Long Division, which has won many awards, and of a collection of essays, How to Slowly Kill Yourself. His work has appeared in many publications including Esquire, The Guardian, and The Los Angeles Times.

His memoir Heavy and a novel, And So On will be published by Scribner this year and in 2018.

The chapter Laymon read from Heavy presents the perspective of a young black teenager who first encountered whites in an integrated school, and the many differences between black and white cultures. He said he had only known white people from popular culture, especially TV. "None matched the real white folks we met," he said.

Here is a recording of his talk:

Download WIU Nov 29

- Elaine Hopkins