Tayari Jones won the Aspen Words literary prize earlier this year for her novel “An American Marriage.” She speaks in Aspen Tuesday as a part of the weeklong writing conference Summer Words.
“An American Marriage” is about an African-American man whose relationships are upended when he’s jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. The novel delves into an unjust criminal justice system and racism.
Jones says she looks to balance reality with hope in her writing.
"I believe in hope. I don’t think that I create hope when I’m writing. I think that if I write without hope, I’m not telling the truth," she said.
Jones will discuss her work with Aspen Words' executive director, Adrienne Brodeur, Tuesday at the Belly Up starting at 6 p.m.
