Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

Image Credit: "The Man" by lets.book, used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Note: This is not the official cover art for Heavy.

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Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

Publisher: Scribner

Expected Publication Date: October 16, 2018

Format Reviewed: E-book

ISBN: 9781501125652

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This review is based upon an ARC provided by NetGalley and Scribner.

By his own admission, Kiese Laymon did not want to write this memoir; he wanted to write a book of lies. Lies about being a black man in America. Lies about his body, gorged and purged to the point of physical breakdown. Lies about his reckless gambling addiction. Lies about his white, teenage girlfriend and black, collegiate love. Lies about his mother; lies to his mother. Lies about promises made, and lies about promises broken. Kiese Laymon wanted to lie; he wanted to lie about it all. But he told the truth, and what remains is an uncompromisingly honest reflection on black life.

Heavy, as the title suggests, is weighty in its story and composition. Every sentence is an emotional wallop of carefully constructed syllables, and each period serves as an opportunity for the reader to catch their breath. The extreme vulnerability on display is often overwhelming, and in the hands of a lesser writer, could feel exploitative. But Laymon’s mastery of the language keeps him firmly in control of the narrative – and keeps the reader’s eyes on the page. A powerful work reminiscent of those by Roxane Gay and Ta-Nehisi Coates, Keise Laymon’s Heavy is a must-read exploration of the personal, political, and racial intersections of America.