Find out what inspired Steven Gellman to write "Somewhere in Nowhere" down below.
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
When I decided to write a novel, I knew immediately that it had to be a classic LGBTQ coming-of-age story about a boy dealing with mental health challenges. I also knew I wanted it to be in the vein of Judy Blume, who wrote my favorite books as a child.
On my twenty-first birthday, I experienced my first panic attack. I was celebrating my birthday with friends at TGI Friday’s, and I didn’t know what was happening to me. I’ve experienced panic attacks on and off most of my adult life. After several years of relief, they returned worse than ever, catching me completely off guard. I was in the throes of these attacks when I decided to write my debut, Somewhere in Nowhere. The story is fiction, but what the main character, Simon, goes through was exactly what I was feeling and experiencing. I would be up all night with crippling anxiety and panic, and then, in the morning, I would lay my experiences bear on the page. Anxiety and mental health challenges are at near-crisis levels for young people, and I knew there had to be queer kids out there who would see themselves in Simon’s story and mine.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?
For me, Reading Rainbow is seeing yourself represented on the page. I will never forget the first time I walked into Lambda Rising bookstore in Washington, DC. I was a nineteen-year-old kid, just coming out, and it was like going to Disneyland. Everything in the store was queer. I spent hours browsing those shelves in awe.
I even remember the first book I bought at the store: Reflections of a Rock Lobster by Aaron Fricke. I still have that book on my shelf. So many of my favorite books came from that iconic gay bookstore. And I adored Mercedes Lackey’s The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy. I read that series so many times in my youth. I miss that store.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
We all deserve to see ourselves represented in books, especially now, when libraries and schools are under attack and book bans are gaining traction everywhere. There are trans kids, ace kids, kids with different religions and backgrounds who need to know they’re not alone and that it’s okay to be different. Everyone needs to feel seen, and books are the perfect way to make that happen. It was a priority for me to make sure I had a diverse group of characters in my novel. We need more diversity in books, not less.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
Sure, here’s the pitch.
Coming out is hard, especially when you have two gay moms. At least it is for Simon Bugg. He doesn’t want the world to think that having gay parents has turned him gay. And he certainly doesn’t want anyone to know about the alien in his stomach that’s trying to kill him.
It’s Simon’s senior year and his world just turned upside down. When his mom scores a dream job, Simon lands at a new school away from the only friends he has ever known. Now, his mom is overworked and chronically stressed, and his deadbeat dad is back on the scene. Navigating a new school and new friends is a challenge for a neurotic overthinker, and Simon finds himself turning to his rescue cat and a local barista for support. But when Simon meets the handsome PJ in drama class, he gets talked into a date that he derails in spectacular fashion.
With a little help from his friends — new and old — Simon finds his way back to PJ. But how can he have a real relationship with the boy of his dreams when he’s convinced he’s going to die? No one knows about the nightly alien attacks at 11:22. Why then, and why do they keep getting worse? Simon must face a dark secret inside before he loses his chance with the boy he loves.
I’m a performing singer-songwriter, and during COVID I lost all my work as a musician. I suddenly found myself with a lot of time on my hands and buckets of anxiety. I had a story to tell, and that unexpected gift of time, for better or worse, became the moment to tell it.
What can fans expect from your book?
ALL the feels. You'll laugh. You'll cry. It might even make you want to try stinky tofu while binge watching reruns of the Bionic Woman. You'll fall in love with a boy named Pajamas and want to stage your own intervention at a Waffle House. And, oh yeah... cats!
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
I’ve loved books and reading my entire life, but I came to writing novels by accident. Before writing "Somewhere in Nowhere," I had only written four-and-a-half-minute folk songs. I never saw this turn of events coming, but I’m here to stay and loving every minute of it.
I’ve just finished editing my second novel, Nerd’s Holiday, and I’m turning that into my agent next week. I’ve also begun writing book three. The novels are stand-alone, but they’re all part of the same universe. Minor characters carry over from book to book, and when read together, they tell one larger story.
Anyone who's interested in my writing or music can visit hiddenpoet.com to learn more or sign up for my newsletter. Thank you to OUTSFL for the opportunity and the thoughtful questions.
