Tayari Jones: “Kin” | Oprah’s Book Club

Tayari Jones initially struggled with a contracted novel about gentrification. She returned to basics, using a ballpoint pen and lined notebook paper for 'word doodling,' which unexpectedly birthed the characters Annie and Ni in the 1950s. This unplanned narrative grew into 'Kin,' a story she felt 'wanted to be written' and that she was 'called to write,' indicating a channeled creative process.

Jones describes going 'back to basics to paper and pen... just writing, just seeing who was out there' and the story showing up in her head. She states, 'this is a story that wanted to be written. This is a story that I was called to write and I could disobey that at my own peril.'

An 8-year gap separated 'An American Marriage' and 'Kin' due to a confluence of factors: the demands of promoting a best-selling novel, a series of profound personal losses (deaths in her life), and a diagnosis of Graves disease which caused physical impediments like hand tremors and double vision. Despite these challenges, Jones found healing in writing and was driven by a commitment to her characters and a looming deadline.

Jones states, 'I had a terrible series of losses, deaths in my life and that grieving took me away from the page... I got sick. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Graves disease. And I like my hand was shaking. I couldn't write... I had to write this book with um a patch over my eye.'

Jones incorporates letters into her novels, including 'Kin,' as a deliberate choice to preserve a fading cultural form. She notes that written letters carry a unique intentionality and create a lasting record, unlike spoken words, texts, or emails. This form allows characters to express truths 'on the record' that might otherwise remain unsaid.

Jones laments, 'I lament that letter writing is, you know, we're losing it as a cultural form.' She adds, 'what we share in writing is different than what we share in speaking... There's a certain intentionality because you're putting it on the page for the record.'

A central theme in 'Kin' and a key takeaway for Jones is the importance of chosen family over strict biological ties. She argues that individuals should have the right to create families that work for them, and that love from non-biological figures can be just as significant. The book critiques the idea that 'this accident of birth is the determining factor in your life,' highlighting that an obsession with blood ties can prevent one from recognizing available love.

Jones states, 'I really hope that we can stop being so tied to the question of biology... we as full human beings should have the right to create a family that works for us.' She notes Annie's 'commitment to the idea of blood that she cannot experience the other love that's around her.'

Writing 'Kin' provided Jones with a deeper understanding of her own mother and previous generations. She realized that it's unfair to expect older generations to fully comprehend modern, 'unprecedented lives' given their vastly different upbringings. This insight fostered grace and credit for the efforts of those who did the best they could with their experiences.

Jones explains, 'I came to understand in writing about this previous generation just how how their experiences were so different than our own... I realize now how could she understand my life? She grew up in a different world.'