Episode 111 Notes and Links to Taylor Byas’ Work
On Episode 111 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Taylor Byas, and the two discuss many topics, such as Taylor’s early reading, both school-selected and then her discovery of titans like Toni Morrison and Patricia Smith, contemporary writers who continue to inspire and thrill her, her relationship with form in her writing, close-up views of some of her affecting work, and how her work interrogates the ways in which Black women walk through the world due to historical and current racist and systematic tropes and practices.
Taylor Byas is a Black Chicago native currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio where she is a PhD student and Yates scholar at the University of Cincinnati, and an Assistant Features Editor for The Rumpus. She was the 1st place winner of both the Poetry Super Highway and the Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets Contests. Her work appears or is forthcoming in New Ohio Review, Borderlands Texas Poetry Review, Glass, Iron Horse Literary Review, Hobart, Frontier Poetry, SWWIM, TriQuarterly, and others.
Taylor Byas' Website
Jeni de la O with The Poetry Question and her In-depth Study of Taylor’s “I Don’t Care if Mary Jane Gets Saved or Not”
Taylor's "My Twitter Feed Becomes Too Much"
“Tiger Stripes” Nonfiction from Taylor-Mixed Mag
“Hypothetically Speaking” Poem from Palette Poetry
At about 2:50, Taylor talks about her creativity and input and mindset during COVID
At about 6:10, Pete asks Taylor about her philosophy in writing and revising
At about 8:00, Taylor responds to Pete’s questions about her relationship with language in childhood
At about 9:15: “Reading beef!”
At about 10:00, Taylor talks about an ekphrastic poetry class in undergrad as a “perfect bridge”
At about 11:00, Pete zeroes in on what Taylor was reading as a kid and adolescent; Taylor points to junior year in high school as a reading turning point in discovering Toni Morrison’s work and The Color Purple
At about 13:00, Pete alludes to a joyful photo of literary giants, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, dancing
At about 13:10, Pete asks Taylor to name her favorite Toni Morrison work
At about 13:45-15:35, Taylor discusses Black poets who have thrilled and inspired her-Erica Dawson is referenced as a meaningful writer for Taylor
At about 15:45, Taylor shouts out Patricia Smith and how she and Erica Dawson as formalists were inspiring; Taylor talks about getting to meet a hero in Patricia Smith and correspondence with Patricia
At about 17:45, Taylor responds to Pete’s questions about representation, and she explains the “void” she felt in her high school reading
At about 20:00, Taylor highlights Alexis Pauline Gumbs and Tiana Clark and Claudia Rankine as contemporary writers who she enjoys and draws inspiration from; Georgia Douglas Johnson is a writer Taylor returns to
At about 21:45, Taylor gives background on how she became sure of her path as a writer
At about 24:20, Pete asks Taylor for her views on form in her work; she cites Michael Frazier’s interesting philosophy on form
At about 27:00, Taylor talks about her teaching life and student life and views on form in academia and in writing communities
At about 28:35, Taylor talks about how she approaches others’ works as an editor
At about 30:40, Taylor talks about “meaning” in her work and its connection to narrative
At about 32:40, Taylor responds to Pete’s question about the relationship between poet and speaker
At about 34:45, Pete and Taylor discuss her nonfiction piece “Tiger Stripes” and exposure and self-reflection in her projects
At about 38:05, the two discuss “Hypothetically Speaking” and Taylor talks about balancing nostalgia and perspective
At about 39:40, Taylor talks about what she learned through watching the ways in which her younger siblings and other children she worked with moved through the world
At about 41:40, Jeni de la O’s incredibly in-depth wise reading of Taylor’s poem is discussed
At about 41:45, Pete shouts out F. Douglas Brown and his expertise with ekphrastic poetry, and Pete asks Taylor what is so monumental about the genre for her
At about 44:10, Taylor describes some new poems she’s working on that question the writings and mindsets of problematic artists
At about 45:15, Taylor responds to Pete’s question about how music acts as a muse
At about 46:25, “On Hesitation” is discussed, and Pete highlights some standout lines
At about 47:50, Taylor gives background and inspiration for the piece, with regard to pessimism/expectations
At about 50:20, Pete wonders about any feelings of catharsis for Taylor after writing about difficult experiences
At about 52:00, Bloodwarm is discussed, with Taylor providing background and seeds for the chapbook, including the 2016 election’s impact
At about 55:15, Taylor talks about ideas of safety
At about 57:00, The two discuss “The Black Girl Comes to Dinner”; Taylor gives background on the poem’s genesis and “sundown towns
At about 1:01:00, Pete and Taylor marvel at the level of analysis and research in Jeni de la O’s article about Taylor’s “I Don’t Care if Mary Jane Gets Saved or Not”
At about 1:03:30, Taylor gives background on the form of pantoum and talks about why she loves the form
At about 1:05:30, Pete references repetition as seen in Taylor’s “My Twitter Feed Becomes Too Much”
At about 1:06:40, Taylor discusses ideas of “damsel in distress” and who is “saved”
At about 1:10:00, Pete cites a survey provided by Jeni de la O and how white participants perceive Black girls, and Taylor discusses these perceptions and how they are “built into systems,” as well as the “double bind” experienced by Black girls
At about 1:13:30, Taylor and Pete discuss ideas of “weaponizing tears” and look at the recent example of Kim Potter and Daunte Wright
At about 1:15:00, Taylor cites a Tik Tok trend and its connection to white women being tone deaf to issues of racist systems
At about 1:16:00, Pete cites a cool question asked in the interview attached to Jeni de la O’s study of Taylor’s poem
At about 1:18:00, Taylor reads “Hypothetically Speaking”
At about 1:22:20, Taylor explains her thoughts on the function of second person and who “you” is in the poem
At about 1:23:40, Taylor talks about future projects, including Shutter, coming out soon through Madhouse Press
At about 1:26:00, Taylor shares contact information and social media, and shouts out Semicolon Books in Chicago as a good place to buy her book
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Please tune in for Episode 112 with James Tate Hill, the author of a memoir, Blind Man’s Bluff, released in August 2021 from W. W. Norton. His fiction debut, Academy Gothic, won the Nilsen Literary Prize for a First Novel. His essays were Notable in the 2019 and 2020 editions of Best American Essays. He serves as fiction editor for Monkeybicycle and contributing editor for Literary Hub, where he writes a monthly audiobooks column. The episode will air on March 17.
This episode is the third of five this week. On Monday, March 21, there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card to bookshop.org. In order to enter the drawing:
Episode 118 with SJ Sindu, Master Storyteller, Versatile Writer of Varied Texts, and Author of Blue Skinned Gods, ”a rich, beautifully told and moving” Work
Episode 117 with Nadia Owusu, Introspective and Precise Writer and Chronicler of Trauma and Joy, Writ Large, and Author of the Award-Winning Memoir, Aftershocks
Episode 116 with Noel Casler, Standout Artist, Creative, Podcaster, and Standup Comedian with 25 Years of Experience in TV and Production, Including The Celebrity Apprentice
Episode 115 with Jennifer Fliss, Flash Fiction Star and Master of Signifying So Much by Writing So Little
Episode 114 with Reyna Grande: Brilliant and Award-Winning Memoirist, Novelist, and Author of 2022’s Triumph, A Ballad of Love and Glory
Episode 113 with Nicole Santa Cruz, Multitalented Journalist, Former Chronicler of The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report, and Reporter Covering Issues of Inequality for ProPublica
Episode 112 with James Tate Hill, Editor at Monkeybicycle , Columnist for LitHub, and Reflective and Acclaimed Writer of Blind Man’s Bluff: A Memoir
Episode 110 with Bryce Hedstrom, El Padrino of Comprehensible Input in the Foreign Language Classroom, Master Teacher and Teacher Trainer, Author of Multiple Books, and Bold Advocate for Reading
Episode 109 with Ben Guest, Educator, Builder of Great Relationships through Education and Basketball, and Author of Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey
Episode 108 with Navdeep Dhillon Singh, Writer of Stirring, Profound, and Clever Work and Author of the Standout and Unforgettable Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions
Episode 107 with Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, Tireless and Compassionate Advocate for Carceral and Mental Health Reform and Author of The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice
Episode 106 with Daniel Olivas, Lawyer, Wordsmith, Playwright, Aesthete, and Author of 2022’s Unique and Riveting How to Date a Flying Mexican Story Collection
Episode 105 with Nikesha Elise Williams, host of Black and Published Podcast, prolific and versatile writer of Beyond Bourbon Street and More, and Master Storyteller in Different Media.
Episode 104 with Matt Bell, Author of The New York Times Notable Book, Appleseed, and Uber-Talented Craftsman, Worldbuilder, Chronicler of Society’s Mores, and Writing Teacher
Episode 103 with Tracey Thompson, Short-Story Reader Extraordinaire, Shirley Jackson Fan, and Publisher of the ”California Reading” Project
Episode 102 with Tice Cin, Interdisciplinary Artist, Aesthete, Wordsmith, and Author of Keeping the House-Called” a cult classic in the making” by The Guardian
Episode 101 with Mia St. John, 5-time World Boxing Champion, Founder of El Saber Es Poder Foundation, Advocate for Mental Health Awareness, and Author of the Memoir, Fighting for My Life
Episode 100 with Susan Muaddi Darraj: Versatile Writer of Moving and Well-Researched Works for All Ages and ”Portraits of Flawed, Ordinary Humans with Whom the reader Can Feel Joy, Pain and Empathy”
Episode 99 with Sara Borjas, Profound Thinker, Script-Flipper, Proud Pochx, and Author of the Breathtaking Heart Like a Window, Mouth Like a Cliff
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