"Kiese Laymon is a writer bearing witness to the myriad forms of violence that mark the Black experience. Laymon’s writing across genres is grounded in radical honesty and his perspective as a Black Southern man."- MacArthur Foundation.

Laymon’s first two books—the novel Long Division and the essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America—were originally published in 2013. He published revised editions in 2020 and 2021, respectively, that more fully realize his original visions for the works. Long Division (2020) mixes elements of speculative and science fiction, mystery, and a coming-of-age story about two Black Southern teenagers, both named City but from different time periods (1985 and 2013).

The author and 2022 recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship joined The Takeaway to talk about his work and what it was like to be inducted into the 2022 class of MacArthur Fellows.