TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe.
Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?
After his stay in a secluded
artist colony, ne’er-do-well Morris Hines has fallen in love – with anonymity
and endless drinking; with the sleepy resort town and its bohemian ways. Morris
Hines is about to enter hell.
Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why?
The novel opens with my main character, Morris, in this
isolated resort town and randomly stumbling upon a shadow from his past, Henry.
And it’s an unsettling reunion – their friendship had ended badly.
Henry quickly became my favorite character to write about.
He’s universal – we all have that story of the “bad friend” from our past and
we all have wondered what it would be like to run into them again. It’s easy to
assume the worst about them and usually there’s a part of us that desperately
wants them to get their comeuppance.
At first, it was easy to label Henry as the “bad friend”.
But the more time I spent writing him, the more I saw his humanity. Yes, he was
selfish and self-destructive, but he was also self-aware. He had regrets. He
wanted to make positive changes to his life, but didn’t know how to shed bad
habits and old reputations. In the end, I felt a great deal of empathy for him.
And, which character gave you the most trouble, and why?
Yasmin, who is Morris’s fiancé back home. While she plays an
important role in the novel, she’s not physically in town with him. I worried
she would turn into Hella from “Giovanni’s Room”, sort of existing in the
background without getting any real development. I didn’t want that for her. I
wanted her to have agency, which is difficult to show when she’s not present
for a lot of the action.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s
road to publication.
I started with this vague idea of a queer man becoming
stranded in middle-America, which led to these big questions of what it means
to be stranded in the first place as well as how queer people exist outside of
our bubbles. But I didn’t know where to begin. I was a short story writer and
this was my first attempt at a novel – I was totally lost, couldn’t figure out
how to enter the story much less take this idea and build a full plot around
it.
Then, I was at my yearly writer’s colony, wandering around town lost in thought
when I suddenly had this wicked idea: what if my main character was at an
artist colony and just isn’t ready to go home. It was amazing how quickly the
rest of the plot fit into place.
The writing process was slow. I was working on this
throughout the Trump administration and a pandemic. It was so hard to focus
when it felt like the world was ending. But it also fueled me with a lot of raw
emotion that found its way into my writing. Maybe a little angst is good for
art.
As for the publishing part, my story collection came out
through Lethe Press. And while I did spend a year on the agent hunt, I
eventually went back to Lethe and it felt like I was coming home. Steve Berman
is amazing. He is supportive and brings a really incredible eye to the books he
publishes. I am very lucky to know him.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
The novelist Patricia Park once told me, “A novel is a
collection of little moments.” At the time, I didn’t quite get what she meant by
that, but it was something I thought a lot about during the editing process. Every
scene counts. Every scene, even the most seemingly inconsequential, can be
interesting if you use the right details.
My favorite writing advice is “write until something
surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?
When I wrote the first draft, I had left Chapter 2 blank.
This was the chapter reserved for the history of the two main characters,
Morris and Henry. I had plenty of notes on their backstory and a decent idea of
who they were when they were younger. And this was a first draft, so I figured
I didn’t need to have everything figured out right away.
Well, eventually it became to time write Chapter 2 … and
Chapter 2 became my archnemesis. It was this blank page that just sat there,
mocking me. And I had no idea what to write in it. Do you give a long comprehensive
history? Or do you write a single specific moment that is full of meaning? And
what on earth should that moment be?
It probably took another six months or so just to get a
half-hearted Chapter 2 typed up. And then, once I read it, I realized that it
changed the entire dynamic between the two main characters, which meant I had
to rewrite the entire novel.
So, yeah. Chapter 2 surprised me.
What’s something about your book that you want readers to
know?
My novel is set in an unnamed Midwestern town, which is
inspired by Eureka Springs, AR. I’ve been going there for over a decade for my
yearly residency at the Writer’s
Colony at Dairy Hollow and now, it’s a home away from home. I have
long-time friends there, I wrote both my books there, and I have countless
wonderful memories. Eureka Springs is and will always be very close to my heart.
But, “You Don’t Belong Here” is not set in Eureka Springs. I
need to make that clear.
My novel is about a man who becomes stranded in a seemingly
idealistic town only to discover it is not as idealistic as he thought. The
town itself is not evil, but there is a darkness to it. I think that darkness can
be found in a lot of places. I’ve felt that darkness in certain places. But not
Eureka Springs. It feels wrong to associate it with a place that has brought me
nothing but joy.
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any
food/s associated with your book?
Alas, not food. But drink. My novel is set in a resort town,
a drinking town, and alcohol is almost its own character. It’s not a novel of
rampant alcoholism, but it is booze soaked for a reason.
So, here’s a recipe for a Perfect Manhattan:
2 oz Whistlepig Rye Whiskey
½ oz sweet vermouth
½ oz dry vermouth
2 dashes of ginger bitters
Pour it all in, gently stir, serve in a coup glass with a
lemon twist.
Sip while giving a withering glance.
*****
READ MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR HERE: www.thejonathan-harper.com
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR TBR STACK:
https://www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p669/You_Don%27t_Belong_Here.html