Kayla rae whitaker on the animators, sobriety, and her. Reviewed by jack cameron stanton my body runs icecold with the knowledge of all i didnt see, the things i hadnt known. Kayla rae whitakers work has appeared in smokelong quarterly, split lip magazine, body, boega, joyland, the switchback, five quarterly, american microviews and interviews, and others. But by her second year in nyus mfa program, the kentucky native realized shed built a life for herself and didnt want to leave. The animators by kayla rae whitaker is an emotional, heartbreaking, profound, and a thoughtprovoking novel with a multilayered storyline about a friendship that starts off with two small town flawed misfits that come to terms with their past through their animations and take their stories to the bright lights of new york city. Kayla rae whitaker on stories about women artists five books. Kayla rae reid bio, facts, family famous birthdays. Though it seems lighthearted on the surface, theres a lot of meat to this story of the long friendship between two female animators. Author interview kayla rae whitaker, author of the. Jan 31, 2017 kayla rae whitaker was born and raised in kentucky. Kayla rae whitakers debut, the animators, is a comingof age, lgbtq novel about outsiders who become animators. The cartooning world and the kentuckynew york city dichotomy together feel like a. Both are talented artists, and their combined genius brings them together in a lifechanging creative partnership and friendship. Kayla rae whitaker from age eighteen on, i had a partner, a kindred spirit.
Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. After many years of living in brooklyn, she returned to kentucky, her home state, in 2016 with her husband and their geriatric tomcat, breece dj pancake. Whitakers debut novel, the animators, explores the complexities of female friendships, selfidentity, and success in the maledominated field of animation. This event and sharons recovery give them fodder for a second film about sharons life. The writers centers grace mott talks with kayla rae whitaker, winner of the mclaughlinesstmanstearns first novel prize. Kayla rae whitaker s work has appeared in smokelong quarterly, split lip magazine, body, boega, joyland, the switchback, five quarterly, american microviews and interviews, and others. Jul, 2017 renee shaw speaks with author kayla rae whitaker, a kentucky native whose debut novel the animators has met with critical praise. She is a graduate of the university of kentucky and new york university.
Sterling native and author kayla rae whitaker, one of the writers featured at the 2017 kentucky women writers conference at the university of kentucky. Someone bound and determined to keep me from the worst in myself. A wildly original novel that pulses with heart and truth that this powerful exploration of friendship, desire, ambition, and secrets manages to be ebullient, gripping, heartbreaking, and deeply deeply funny is a testament to kayla rae whitakers formidable gifts. The animators is a heartbreakingly beautiful, sharply funny, arrestingly unforgettable novel about love and genius, the powerful obsessiveness of artistic creation, and the equally powerful undertow of the past. The fierce, creative women at the heart of kayla rae whitakers debut, the animators, are impossible to forget. The world of age of blight is ours, a century or so into the future, with all the technological advancement and environmental decay one might expect and the added, unpleasant surprise of a milleniums worth of moral and empathetic regression. Feb 03, 2017 the animators by kayla rae whitaker 372 pp. This week, shell take on the role of teacher at a fiction workshop during the annual kentucky women writers conference. She has a ba from the university of kentucky and and mfa from new york university. Kayla rae whitakers debut novel the animators follows these two fascinating, flawed women over the course of the next decade. Kayla whitaker holds an mfa in fiction from new york university, and her work has appeared in smokelong quarterly, body, bodega, joyland, the switchback, five quarterly and others. The animators by kayla rae whitaker better reading. Updating the theme of how artists turn personal pain into art, whitakers outstanding debut. The animators by kayla rae whitaker debut publisher.
She is a graduate of the university of kentucky and of new york universitys mfa program, which she attended as a jack kent cooke graduate scholar. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Funny and heartbreaking by turn, the animators is a dazzling story of female friendship, the cost of a creative life, and the secrets that can undo us. Written by kayla rae whitaker, audiobook narrated by alex mckenna. Dating, for me, had never been separate from the act of searching for my own value. Mel and sharon meet the first week of college, sharing a love of drawing and animation, which will forever seal their friendship and entwine their lives. This is how sharon kisses, the marvelously named narrator of kayla rae whitakers unusual and appealing. She writes her way into pain, rising anger, old regret. Kayla rae whitakers work has appeared in buzzfeed, literary hub, joyland, split lip magazine, and others. What its like to live in kentucky and sell your debut novel. Kayla rae whitaker composes an ode to women who make things, from wooden dolls to indie music, and postmodern triptychs to the best candy bar youll ever taste. Debut author kayla rae whitaker talks about the animators, artistic ambition, and why she is moving back to her native kentucky after seven years. Her name is kayla rae whitaker, which is really similar to my kayla whitter also, my dads name is ray. How i learned to date after drinking buzzfeed news.
What its like to live in kentucky and sell your debut. Wuky sat down with kayla to discuss the lure of animation, how small town kentucky helped shape her novel, and the hurdles women writers still face. She is a graduate of the university of kentucky and of new york universitys mfa program. After i quit drinking, sponsors and other women in the program advised me not to date for one year. Kayla rae whitaker was born and raised in kentucky. Kayla rae whitaker on weird cartoons, pop culture before the internet, and women artists. Though animation is the medium of choice for the two artists the book follows, its not about the animation industry or how the animation world works. The animators by kayla rae whitaker overdrive rakuten. The animators is about sharon kisses and her business partner and friend, mel vaught, two brilliant cartoonists who meet in college and begin working together. Renee shaw speaks with author kayla rae whitaker, a kentucky native whose debut novel the animators has met with critical praise. Kayla rae whitakers the animators is a debut with the ambition and polish of a fourth or fifth book. Kayla rae whitaker presents her debut novel, the animators, in the portland art museum galleries. The book was first published by random house in 2017 and written by kayla rae whitaker. The fierce, creative women at the heart of kayla rae whitaker s debut, the animators, are impossible to forget.
W hen kayla rae whitaker was tiny, perhaps four or five, she would watch warner brothers cartoons with her grandfather. Whitaker is aware of how animation affects the bodybacks stooping, hands cramping. After many years of living in brooklyn, she returned to kentucky, her home state, in 2016 with her husband and their geriatric tomcat, breece dj. She writes about the surreal experience of living in kentucky and having it. The authors name is the main reason i picked it up, even though ive heard some amazing things about this book since its release last year. A selfdescribed cartoon fangirl from an early age, kayla rae whitaker pencils that passion into her debut novel, the animators. The animators by kayla rae whitaker, paperback barnes. Kayla rae whitaker wasnt initially gungho about life on the east coast. Kayla rae whitaker debut novel the animators coming from. Twice nominated for the pushcart prize, she recently appeared alongside such luminaries as lynyrd skynyrd as a commentator in the history channels southern. Kate christensen, penfaulkner awardwinning author of the great man.
Theirs is both a firm friendship and a creative partnership intense, and often fraught. Mel and sharon meet in college, where they share an outsider status thanks to their shared southern roots. Kayla rae whitaker is the author of the animators 3. At a private east coast college, two young women meet in art. Kayla rae whitaker writes like her head is on fire. I learned more from the simpsons than i did from actual school. Praise for kayla rae whitaker this bright debut from kayla rae whitaker reworks the familiar buddy novel into a story of two young women united by ambition, artistic talent, and enterprise. Kayla gail whitaker, age 25, matthews, nc 28104 view full report known locations.
Whitaker discusses her novel, which explores womens. Authors biography kayla rae whitaker is from kentucky. In the maledominated field of animation, mel vaught and sharon. Kayla rae whitaker is the author of the novel the animators random house 2017. He was a world war two vet and he liked them as much as i did. At a private east coast college, two young women meet in art class. She was born and initially raised in fairfax, virginia before moving to palm springs, california at age 10. When i finish kayla rae whitakers debut novel the animators i feel as though my hearts been jammed into a washing machine and spun around full cycle, but even after it spits me out i want to jump back in and go for another ride. This is how sharon kisses, the marvelously named narrator of. Whitaker s debut novel, the animators, explores the complexities of female friendships, selfidentity, and success in the maledominated field of animation. Debut author kayla rae whitaker talks about the animators, artistic ambition, and why she is moving back to her native kentucky after seven years describe the animators to us. Please reference the portland art museum map to find this location.
Whitaker is paired with since high school by gail tremblay. Mar 16, 2017 w hen kayla rae whitaker was tiny, perhaps four or five, she would watch warner brothers cartoons with her grandfather. Jan 31, 2017 the animators by kayla rae whitaker debut publisher. Nov 15, 2017 kayla rae whitakers debut, the animators, is a comingof age, lgbtq novel about outsiders who become animators. Sarah elizabeth mills, jamie ann wageman, ashlyn c whitaker.