Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
That's a question the main character is grappling with in Brandon Taylor's latest novel, Minor Black Figures. Wyeth is a painter struggling to find his voice in New York City. His work is inspired by scenes from classic cinema, such as films by Ingmar Bergman and George Cukor, but in place of the white actors, Wyeth paints Black people. And in the climate of the early 2020s, he finds his work being politicized in ways he didn't intend. In steps the love interest, a guy named Keating — a former priest-in-training who's having a crisis of faith all his own.
Brandon Taylor is the author of three previous works of fiction, including Real Life, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2020. He speaks with Mattea Roach about his Alabama roots, his own journey with faith and the impossible question of who we make art for.
CBC Bookends is a podcast featuring writers who have something to say about their work, the world and our place in it. You’ll always walk away with big questions to ponder and new books to read. Find Bookends with Mattea Roach wherever you podcast.
»Subscribe to CBC Arts to watch more videos: bit.ly/CBCArtsSubscribe
Find us at: cbc.ca/arts
CBC Arts on Facebook: facebook.com/cbcarts
CBC Arts on Instagram: instagram.com/cbcarts
About: Welcome to CBC Arts, your home for the most surprising, relevant and provocative stories featuring artists from diverse communities across Canada. Our job is to fill your feed with the disruptors and innovators changing how we see the country through movement, images and sound — and to inspire you to join in too.
That's a question the main character is grappling with in Brandon Taylor's latest novel, Minor Black Figures. Wyeth is a painter struggling to find his voice in New York City. His work is inspired by scenes from classic cinema, such as films by Ingmar Bergman and George Cukor, but in place of the white actors, Wyeth paints Black people. And in the climate of the early 2020s, he finds his work being politicized in ways he didn't intend. In steps the love interest, a guy named Keating — a former priest-in-training who's having a crisis of faith all his own.
Brandon Taylor is the author of three previous works of fiction, including Real Life, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2020. He speaks with Mattea Roach about his Alabama roots, his own journey with faith and the impossible question of who we make art for.
CBC Bookends is a podcast featuring writers who have something to say about their work, the world and our place in it. You’ll always walk away with big questions to ponder and new books to read. Find Bookends with Mattea Roach wherever you podcast.
»Subscribe to CBC Arts to watch more videos: bit.ly/CBCArtsSubscribe
Find us at: cbc.ca/arts
CBC Arts on Facebook: facebook.com/cbcarts
CBC Arts on Instagram: instagram.com/cbcarts
About: Welcome to CBC Arts, your home for the most surprising, relevant and provocative stories featuring artists from diverse communities across Canada. Our job is to fill your feed with the disruptors and innovators changing how we see the country through movement, images and sound — and to inspire you to join in too.
