Tayari Jones had several well-reviewed books before American Marriage too off last year. She remembers, “I published my first book in 2002 and I remember that I was at Bread Loaf [Writers’ Conference]. A lot of [other emerging writers] had been on NPR and other things and I hadn’t done any of these things. I remember I sat on my bed in my little Bread Loaf dorm room and I just cried. How will I ever catch up?” – Shondaland