His memoir, In the Pink, is forthcoming from MidTown Publishing in January 2022.
You can visit his website at www.nicholasgarnett.com or connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks for stopping by! What attracted you to the memoir genre?
I began writing the story many years ago as a chronicle of what I always knew was an unusual situation, a straight guy immersed in a gay world. I
considered presenting the story as a fictionalized version of what really happened, but decided that memoir would force me to figure out why what happened, happened. Besides, the actual events were outrageous enough—I didn’t need to sensationalize them by converting them to fiction!
Do you write in any other genres?
Yes. I’ve written essays, short stories, and a complete novel.
What inspired you to write IN THE PINK?
As the only straight, married guy thoroughly immersed in the gay circuit-party scene of the 90s (if there were others, I never met them), it occurred to me that I had a unique story to tell. By the time my marriage had ended in divorce, and I had relocated from Washington, D.C. to Miami Beach in 2004 to start a new life, I had written a few chapters of what I imagined would be a scandalous, behind-the-scenes view of a decadent lifestyle. Gradually, I began to add more reflection to the writing as I whittled away at the parts of the story that, as entertaining as they were, didn’t contribute to what I was trying to convey. The story became my MFA thesis and was taken on by a literary agent. After many rejections by editors and publishers, I moved on, wrote a novel, and came to terms with the fact that In the Pink was never going to see the light of day. Then, a faculty member at my alma mater took an interest, made some suggestions, and placed the manuscript in the hands of someone who connected with the story and published it. I’ve just compressed more than 15 years of some ups and many downs into a paragraph.
Can you give us your book blurb so others can find out what your book is about?
“Washed out of another corporate job, scraping by playing
drums in a wedding band, delivering roses in a tuxedo. This was Nicholas
Garnett’s version of the go-go 90s. Then, beautiful, worldly, Rachael turns his
world upside down, introducing him to her gay friends who occupy the upper
crust of the burgeoning gay circuit party scene. Nick and Rachael marry and
become known as the hot straight couple that party hardy with the boys in all
he right places--until their friends self-destruct, Rachael burrows into
addiction, the marriage implodes, and Nick is out on the street again. Follow
his harrowing journey as he struggles to find his way in a life that’s been
buried beneath a lifestyle.”
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Website: www.nicholasgarnett.com
Facebook: (5) Nicholas Garnett |
Facebook
Instagram: Nicholas Garnett
(@writerstuffnick) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: @writestuffnick
Link to a series of essays published on Salon.com: Nicholas Garnett's Articles at Salon.com
You can visit me at….
Where can readers buy your book?
Hardcover and Ebook: IN
THE PINK: A memoir: Garnett, Nicholas: 9781626770331: Amazon.com: Books
Home
| Books & Books (booksandbooks.com)
You can pick up a copy of my book at…
Home
| Books & Books (booksandbooks.com) Coral Gables, Florida
Tombolo Books St. Petersburg, FL
Also, it’s available for order through your neighborhood bookstore.
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. What’s next for you?
In the short term, I’m doing my best to promote IN THE PINK and continue to teach creative writing at Florida International University. Soon as I can, I’ll be trying to find a home for my novel, a literary thriller set in Miami Beach, ALL MY TOMORROWS.
