Kiese Laymon originally conceived of his award-winning memoir Heavy as a weight-loss book, but it turned into something more profound: an intimate account of growing up Black in Jackson, Miss. With fearless honesty and hard-edged humour, Laymon describes a childhood filled with love, but also violence. The memoir confronts his complicated relationship with his mother, as well as his lifelong struggle with his weight and addiction to gambling. This interview originally aired January 4, 2019.