Jonathan Bailey | When I Was Red Clay

Local author Jonathan Bailey's book When I Was Red Clay was recently shortlisted for the Reading the West book award, and he's coming back to Under the Umbrella to celebrate! Cast your vote for Jonathan's book here and then join us for a discussion and reading. 

About When I Was Red Clay 

A young person’s story of growing up gay in a rural Mormon town and the wild places where he found refuge.  

This intimate record lays bare one person's experience growing up in a rural Mormon community and struggling to reconcile his sexual orientation with the religious doctrine of his childhood. Weaving together prose, poetry, and stories scrawled on the margins of high school notebooks, Jonathan T. Bailey encounters truth-seeing owls, anachronistic gourds, and the hard-edged realities of family and church. In When I Was Red Clay, he navigates desert landscapes, mental health, and the loss of faith with unflinching honesty and biting humor.

Accessibility Info

ASL Interpretation will be provided

Masks are required in the store and air purifiers will be running throughout the event.

The bookstore is wheelchair accessible (including the restroom) and is close to Trax, FrontRunner, bus, and GreenBike options. Free 2-hour street parking is available on our block and free all-day parking is available within a block of the store. Check the website for a detailed transit & parking map.