February is Black History month, which is always an excellent opportunity to listen to the voices of Black writers and artists. For that reason I would like to spotlight a favorite recent author who has plenty to say: Brandon Taylor. The senior editor for Electric Literature’s “Recommended Reading,” author of three novels, various short stories published in major literary magazines, introductions to books such as Erasure by Percival Everett (who was just awarded the National Book Award for his novel James) or the collected lyrics to his favorite band, Fleet Foxes, and book reviews for The New York Times, Brandon Taylor has shown an incredible eye for literary merit and what makes it work. He hit the literary scene running with his debut novel, Real Life, which was shortlisted for several major awards and signaled the start of a great career from a fresh voice.
Several of his works have been praised by critics as a fresh take on the “campus novel” with both Real Life and his more recent, The Late Americans, being set on or around universities and dealing with the interpersonal relationships (usually contentious) between students. “I was interested in capturing a person on the cusp of starting what they consider to be their real life and how you have all these ideals but you don’t know how to enact them,” Taylor said in an interview with The Guardian. While Real Life puts the reader in the head of a queer, Black student in a predominantly white rural university to examine racial, class and other various power dynamics in the education system, The Late Americans features a blissfully dynamic ensemble cast trying to survive in a modern society where any topic of conversation can quickly descend into heated arguments tinged in political rhetoric and social activism.
Taylor’s Filthy Animals, his second book, is a collection of linked short stories that also demonstrate his talent for creating versatile characters and shows an authentic understanding on the anxious dynamics of any social circle. His characters always feel like people you would run into on any normal day, or very often seem like somebody you probably already know, which makes reading his books all the more intimate. What really works, however, is that for how modern his stories are, his long education in–and love for–classic novels and the way they function lends a rather classic novel feel to his works. Authors like Émile Zola, Henry James and D.H. Lawrence and their style of social commentary and complex characters lend an influence to his writing. It also makes his books enjoyable for those who like a fast paced modern story as well as those who enjoy the feel of the classics.
“Writing is the most fun I’m capable of having,” Taylor likes to joke, spending much of his time online discussing books and literary theory, which he manages to make very funny. It also makes him great for book recommendations, which he is always thrilled to provide. Check out this list of some of his favorites to recommend and what he has to say about them, all of which you can check out here at Herrick District Library.
Author Brandon Taylor has a lot of thoughts on literature, and he loves to share them! Check out some of his favorite books to recommend. AdultPicks HerrickDL
