Heavy

Look into some of the writers Laymon refers to in Heavy: Nikki Giovanni, Toni Cade Bambara, Margaret Walker, Richard Wright, James Baldwin. Where do you see their influence in Laymon’s work?

How does Laymon’s interest in Black feminism and intersectionality shape his thought and his writing?

Weight plays a complicated role in Heavy. How does Laymon’s relationship with his weight speak to other themes and ideas in his story?

“The personal is political” is a major tenet in the work of Black feminist writers like Audre Lorde and bell hooks. How is the personal political in Laymon’s work, and how is the political personal?

Heavy is aimed at Laymon’s mother throughout, and many of the chapters start with a direct address to her. Why might Laymon have made this choice, and what are its effects?

Truth-telling and honesty are one of Heavy’s major concerns right from the start. What stands in the way of honesty in Laymon’s telling? What makes it difficult—and necessary—to discover and tell the truth?

Racism, in Heavy as in life, comes as much from “well-meaning” white people as from more overt racists. What are some ways in which implicit and institutional racism affect Laymon’s story?

Addiction shows up in many guises in Heavy—addictions to gambling, to food, to weight loss, to violent relationships, to drugs. How does Laymon’s work frame and understand addiction?