Tayari Jones
novelist
“It’s important that I never come to a novel trying to avenge anyone...I know some writers forgive as a result of the writing, but for me -- if I am writing about you, I have forgiven you.”
About Tayari
Tayari Jones is a novelist. Her books include Leaving Atlanta, which received the Hurston/Wright Award for Debut Fiction; The Untelling; and Silver Sparrow. A recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Tayari Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, The University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. She has taught at Prairie View A&M University, East Tennessee State University, The University of Illinois, and George Washington University. Currently, she is an Associate Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University. Her work has been supported by The National Endowment for the Arts and The United States Artists Foundation.