In over a dozen interviews,Conversations with Kiese Laymonprovides an in-depth look at author Kiese Laymon as an educator, creative writer, activist, family member, and Mississippian. Interviews capture surprising insights into Laymon’s life and craft. Within these 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’sComing of Age in Mississippi, Welty’sOne Writer’s Beginnings, Jesmyn Ward’sMen We Reaped, and Natasha Trethewey’sMemorial 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 Laymonserves 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, this volume provides an unfiltered look at the prolific Southern writer in his own words.

Constance Baileyis assistant professor of African American literature and folklore at Georgia State University. Her research focuses on Black women’s comedy and humor, Black speculative fiction, and African American folklore and oral traditions.

• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
  
• Publish Date: August 4, 2025
  
• Pages: 156
  
• Language: English
  
• Type: Paperback
  
• EAN/UPC: 9781496859044
  
• Dimensions: 9.0 X 6.0 X 0.4 inches | 0.5 pounds
  
• BISAC Categories: Literary Fiction, Politics, Society & Current Affairs