David Jay Collins's Blog: Q&A with Northerly Island author David Jay Collins

What inspired you to write Gaybash?
I had in mind a fictional story about Matt, a shy gay man who doesn't feel like he fits in the gay community in Chicago, where he lives. Which isn't fictional at all—a lot of us feel that way no matter where we live. As I sketched out the storyline leading up Matt's attack, I thought about what it would take to get such a logical and reserved character to stand up for himself for the first time in his life. In a sense, he breaks his character and the reader is along for the ride. It's also a play on the title: this is a story of a gay man who fights back.

What can a reader expect from the novel?
This is an emotional journey for Matt and the reader. It's fiction, but I wanted Gaybash to reflect our reality. From his uneven relationship with his best friend Greg to his evolving relationship with his parents, Matt will say and do things he never thought possible. By the end of the novel, I want the reader right there with Matt, standing in a world of possibility.

How is Gaybash different from other LGBT novels?
I'm very proud of the depictions of my gay and female characters. The women in this story are strong, and stay strong to the end. At its heart, Gaybash about friendship and love, but also loss. It's not always a happy story, but it's certainly a hopeful one.