Deesha Philyaw
Born
Jacksonville, Florida
Education
Occupation(s)Author, workshop leader, columnist
Websitedeeshaphilyaw.com

Deesha Philyaw is an American author, columnist, and public speaker. Her debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award in fiction and won The Story Prize.[1] Her personal essay writing topics include race, sex, gender, and pop culture.[2][3][4][5]

Early life and education

Philyaw was raised in Jacksonville, Florida.[6] She received a BA in economics from Yale University[7] and an MA in education from Manhattanville College.[8]

Career

Early career

Philyaw worked in corporate communications at a Pittsburgh-area bank before quitting to pursue her writing consultancy and freelance writing full-time.[9] She cites among her literary inspirations Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Bassey Ikpi, and Tyrese Coleman.[10]

Books

Philyaw's first book, Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce, was written in collaboration with her ex-husband, Michael D. Thomas, and published in May 2013.[11]

Her debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (2020), received critical acclaim.[12][13] Writing in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Marion Winik said “Juicy goodness bursts from every page of Deesha Philyaw's debut short story collection. . . . This collection marks the emergence of a bona fide literary treasure.”[14] A starred review in Kirkus Reviews said, "A collection of luminous stories populated by deeply moving and multifaceted characters. . . . Tender, fierce, proudly black and beautiful, these stories will sneak inside you and take root."[15] The book won the 2020 Los Angeles Times Book Prize,[16] the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction,[17] the 2020/2021 Story Prize[18] and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction.[19]

Other writing

Philyaw has written a series of columns for The Rumpus, titled Visible: Women Writers of Color[20] and for Literary Mama,[21] The Girl is Mine.[22] Her essays have also appeared in the Harvard Review, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.[10]

Podcasting

In 2021, Philyaw appeared on Storybound (podcast) reading an excerpts from her book, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, with music sampled from Gil Assayas of GLASYS.

Television

In 2021, it was announced that The Secret Lives of Church Ladies would be adapted for television by HBO Max with Philyaw and actress Tessa Thompson executive producing through Thompson's production company Viva Maude.[23]

Works

  • Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce (written with Michael D. Thomas). New Harbinger Publications. 2013. ISBN 9781608824632.
  • The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. West Virginia University Press. 2020. ISBN 9781949199734.

Personal life

Philyaw currently lives in Pittsburgh with her two daughters.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "'The Secret Lives of Church Ladies' author Deesha Philyaw wins The Story Prize for fiction". March 10, 2021.
  2. ↑ "All the Church Ladies Are Having Secret Sex". Electric Literature. September 7, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Here Are the 2020 Finalists for The Story Prize". Literary Hub. January 12, 2021.
  4. ↑ Charles, Ron (2020-10-05). "The 2020 National Book Awards finalists are a strikingly fresh group". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  5. ↑ "Sweat Equity: The secret lives of author Deesha Philyaw". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  6. ↑ Behe, Rege. "Deesha Philyaw's new story collection is a window into the rich, varied lives of Black women". Pittsburgh City Paper.
  7. ↑ "Sweat Equity: The secret lives of author Deesha Philyaw". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  8. ↑ "UMF proudly presents Deesha Philyaw, winner of 2021 Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction, as first author in Visiting Writer Series, Sept. 16". UMF. 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  9. ↑ "Sweat Equity: The secret lives of author Deesha Philyaw". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  10. 1 2 "Complicating Unhelpful Binaries: Talking with Deesha Philyaw". The Rumpus.net. 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  11. ↑ "Coparenting 101: 17 Helpful Strategies for Divorced Parents". Lifehack. September 18, 2018.
  12. ↑ "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies". wvupressonline.com. March 26, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Can A Devout Christian Woman Make Room For Queer Love?". BuzzFeed News.
  14. ↑ "Review: 'The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,' by Deesha Philyaw". Star Tribune.
  15. ↑ "THE SECRET LIVES OF CHURCH LADIES | Kirkus Reviews" – via www.kirkusreviews.com.
  16. ↑ Pineda, Dorany (2021-04-17). "Winners of the 2020 L.A. Times Book Prizes announced". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  17. ↑ staff. "Announcing the Winner of the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction | The PEN/Faulkner Foundation". Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  18. ↑ "2020/21". The Story Prize. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  19. ↑ Jackson, Jared (2020-12-23). "The PEN Ten: An Interview with Deesha Philyaw". PEN America. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  20. ↑ "Visible: Women Writers of Color". The Rumpus.net.
  21. ↑ "Philyaw, Deesha". Literary Mama. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  22. ↑ "The Girl is Mine". Literary Mama.
  23. ↑ White, Peter (2021-01-15). "Tessa Thompson Launches Production Company With First-Look Deal At HBO/HBO Max, Will EP 'Who Fears Death' & 'The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies' Adaptations". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  24. ↑ "The Not-So Secret Lives of Black Pittsburgh Women". Bloomberg.com. 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
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