“I’m Working On It”: Taylor Gruye (Literary Arts 2008) Reflects on Work, Writing, and Resilience

May 19, 2026

Perpich Arts High School alum Taylor Gruye (Literary Arts 2008) has turned years of difficult jobs, strange workplace encounters, and hard-earned resilience into a new book, I’m Working On It: Still Professional After All These Years.

Taylor Gruye (Literary Arts 2008) recently published “I’m Working On It: Still Professional After All These Years”

Raised in the Twin Cities, Gruye attended Southwest High School before transferring to Perpich after seeing the creative community his friends had found here. “I was amazed at what they were doing and I knew I had to transfer,” he said. At Perpich, he discovered an environment that helped shape both his creative voice and work ethic. “Perpich normalized the practice of art,” Gruye said. “It showed me that great things could be made through vision and self-discipline.”

Gruye describes his writing style as conversational, entertaining, and rooted in lived experience. His latest book draws from the many jobs he worked between the ages of 15 and 36, transforming frustrating experiences into stories that readers can laugh, and relate, to.

“I found solace in reading other people’s stories about their bad jobs,” Gruye said. “Maybe someone out there in the same situation would feel some relief to know they’re not alone, and laugh at how terrible it can be.”

Beyond the classroom, Gruye remembers Perpich for its welcoming community and meaningful connections. “I was always running late to class because everyone in the halls was so friendly,” he said. “It felt like I was making a new friend every week.”

He also gave a special shoutout to his former literature teacher, John Colburn, whose support “went beyond traditional expectations.”

Today, Gruye continues to build on the artistic foundation he found at Perpich, using storytelling to connect with readers through honesty, humor, and shared experience.