This deeply personal exploration of the political is nothing new to Laymon, a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Mississippi, who previously published a novel, Long Division, and a collection of essays, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. accountable for its role in creating and fueling the racial violence and toxic masculinity that shaped the struggles of both of them, making it so difficult for them to give and receive love in a trusting and trustworthy way. As he recounts this, he holds the culture of the U.S. Throughout, Laymon lays bare the many secrets mother and son kept from each other in their home: addictions, sexual violence, physical abuse, eating disorders, theft, lies and shame. Books were readily available, but his mother bounced checks at the local grocery store his home life included writing exercises and whippings in equal measure. His childhood, however, was haunted by poverty and violence. Laymon grew up in a household that nurtured his intellect and creativity.
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