We chat with Jay Coles, author of the acclaimed YA contemporary Tyler Johnson Was Here and the upcoming Things We Couldn’t Say that follows Gio, a Black bisexual teen who’s dealing with first love and the return of the mother that abandoned him when he was nine. We got to ask Jay all our questions about his writing process, music that fits his characters and so much more!
Hi, Jay! Thanks for joining us today! Why don’t you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m the author of Tyler Johnson Was Here and Things We Couldn’t Say! I’m also a contributor in the #1 New York Times Bestselling anthology Black Boy Joy! In addition to being an author I’m a composer, professional musician, and spend a lot of my time doing missions work. Currently, I’m living in Muncie, Indiana!
Lightning round: What was the last book you rated five stars, the last movie you’ve watched that made you feel all the feels and the last song you had stuck in your head?
These are so good. The last book I gave five stars is Mason Deaver’s The Ghosts We Keep. That book ruined me in all the best ways. Highly recommend giving that a read ASAP. The last movie that made me feel all the feels would probably have to be Moonlight. I just recently re-watched it and that movie always puts me in my feelings. The last song that I had stuck in my head is “Male Fantasy” by Billie Eilish. In fact, I’m listening to it on loop right now.
Now, tell us about Things We Couldn’t Say! What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to find a story about a Black boy who’s learning to find joy on his long journey of grief. It’s a book that I hope is a beacon of hope for everyone, but especially all those Black boys and Black queer kids who might need it most these days. You’ll also find lots of Paramore, pop culture references, bad jokes, and characters that you’ll actually want to be friends with in real life, I hope. At least, that’s true for me, haha.
Things We Couldn’t Say is brimming with pop culture references! Tell us about your current pop culture obsessions – books, movies, tv shows, musicals, whatever you’re enjoying right now!
I’m really into all-things Marvel! I just recently watched Shang-Chi and I’m so, so looking forward to this next phase in the Marvel universe. I’m also obsessed with Paramore, if that’s not already evident. Recently, I’ve been super big into Billie Eilish and just watched the Happier Than Ever experience on Disney Plus — so good!
Beyond being a writer, you are also a musician and composer. If you had to pick three songs that encapsulate Gio, which ones would you pick and why?
I LOVE this question so much! I would say the three songs I would pick to encapsulate Gio are the following: “Fake Happy” by Paramore, “Missing Me” by YVA, and “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo.
Authors often give each of their characters a trait or quirk from themselves or something they’ve witnessed others doing in real life. Are there any such things you’ve “bestowed upon” the characters in Things We Couldn’t Say?
Of course! I feel like traits that I have inevitably become part of my characters. Gio’s love of music and abandonment issues, Olly’s dry humor, Ayesha’s loyalty to her friends, Theo’s nerdiness–all those are things I feel like are traits that I passed on to my characters.
Things We Couldn’t Say isn’t your first novel. How did writing this story differ from your debut? Were there challenges or perks to having already finished other stories?
Writing THINGS WE COULDN’T SAY was a very different experience than writing my debut. I had to fight debilitating self-doubt over and over again as I wrote my second book (THINGS). I felt so much pressure from the expectations I felt like other people had for me about what would be “next” from me. After pushing through that and distancing myself from my social media and the internet, I was able to write a story that I was proud of.
Speaking of writing, what’s the best and the worst writing advice you’ve ever been given?
Worst advice: write everyday. This is so unrealistic and it’s harmful. I felt like when I wasn’t writing everyday, that I was failing at my job, which often sent me down this spiral of self-doubt and insecurity.
Best advice: pace yourself, take breaks, step away from writing when you need to. That’s been so helpful for my mental space and overall craft, too.
With Things We Couldn’t Say releasing soon, are you already working on another novel? If so, can you share a tidbit about it with us?
I wish I could share about what’s next, but I can’t! Sorry! But I’m writing something that I’m very excited about and more details will be shared soon, I promise! Just hang tight with me.
Last but not least, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
In addition to The Ghosts We Keep, I recommend picking up Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia, Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson, and I SUPER recommend the recent New York Times bestseller The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass–spooky good!
