About

Pesado is the Brazilian edition of Heavy, Kiese Laymon’s memoir about his body, his mother, and growing up Black in Mississippi, named by The New York Times one of the best books of the 21st century. It’s about weight in every sense: physical, emotional and inherited.

I wanted the title to feel like something you have to carry. Not elegant, not balanced, just heavy, the kind of weight that doesn’t leave room for anything else. The cover is loud and a little uncomfortable on purpose, because the book doesn’t look away either. And in the middle of all that, Kiese’s name stays small and handwritten, like a reminder that behind all that weight there’s a person telling his own story.