The Fire This Time

Kiese Laymon’s essay begins by describing Catherine, his grandmother, enacting her morning routine before working as a “buttonhole slicer at a chicken plant” (117). She rose early, bathed, made breakfast, and cared for Laymon before leaving for work at this difficult, messy job in Mississippi. She took pride in doing the job well to bolster the reputations of other working black women. She described the factory’s smell as “this stank” (118), a term Laymon uses to describe her identity as an exemplary Southern black woman. She always wore stylish accessories with her white usher uniform on Sundays at church as part of this distinctive, self-made personal style. For Laymon, listening to OutKast’s music reveals his Grandmama’s personal expression in a new way. 

Laymon first heard OutKast’s album ATLiens from a friend playing the music at college. The duo’s music celebrates black Southern culture like Goodie Mob, another of Laymon’s favorite groups. ATLiens, however, distinguishes itself with a new sound like “red clay, thick buttery grits, and Mars” (120). 

Laymon, compelled to be a writer, was previously confused about the notion of writing “voice” so often praised in classrooms. OutKast’s music showed Laymon the power of developing a personal