We chat with debut author Nathan Gower about The Act of Disappearing, which is a captivating tale that explores love and mental illness in equal measure, alternating between present day and 1940s-1960s Kentucky,
Hi, Nathan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m a lifelong Kentuckian, a debut author of a literary mystery, and lover of fashion socks! (I also serve as a Professor of English at Campbellsville University, but that mostly feels less important than the socks.)
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
In the fourth grade, I had an amazing English teacher, Mrs. Conn, who bought for every student a blank, hardcover book. Our assignment was to illustrate and write any story we wanted. I remember the feeling of looking at all those blank pages and being overwhelmed with all the possibilities.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess
- The one that made you want to become an author: The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
Your debut novel, The Act of Disappearing, is out May 28th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Mysterious woman falls from bridge
What can readers expect?
The Act of Disappearing is a dual-timeline novel about a contermporary Brooklyn writer tracking down the story behind a mysterious 1964 photograph taken in Kentucky. The story is about generational legacies, small-town secrets, and found family. It’s a story about the vicissitudes of mental health. It’s a story about how personal tragedy and communal loss are outweighed only by the mercies and forgiveness we give each other—and afford to ourselves. Above all, I hope readers will find it to be a riveting page-turner that delivers on its promise to captivate, surprise, and satisfy on many levels.
Where did the inspiration for The Act of Disappearing come from?
The book opens with an image: a photograph taken in 1964 of a woman falling from a train bridge into the Ohio River, clutching to her chest what appears to be a baby. The inspiration for that image came from a memory (surely changed and morphed over time) of a conversation I had with my maternal grandmother when I was a young boy. As we sat at the river’s edge in my western Kentucky hometown, she looked off towards a train bridge looming in the distance and said, almost absentmindedly, “I wonder what it would be like to fall from up there.” In 2020, I dreamed about having that conversation, and I wrote down the opening image in the book the next morning.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
As I noted above, the book is a dual-timeline narrative; my favorite part was finally getting to fully intersect the two narratives at the end of the book. Many early readers seem to enjoy the twists and surprises at the end, and these were my favorite moments to write.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I tend to be one of *those* people who sees the positive in everything, so I’ve viewed the entire publishing process—all the ups and downs—as a fantastic learning experience. There have been some hiccups and unexpected turns in the journey, but I’ve been lead by such a wonderful and supportive team (starting with my agent, Danielle Bukowski, and my editor, Meredith Clark).
What’s next for you?
I can’t say much at the moment, but I’m working on a second book, one that fits nicely into the literary mystery space I’ve wiggled into with The Act of Disappearing, and I’m excited to share more soon!
Lastly, are there any book releases that you’re looking forward to picking up this year?
There are many! Two very different books that stand out in my mind are Made for You by Jenna Satterthwaite and Fire Exit by Morgan Talty.
You can find Nathan on Instagram and Twitter, along with at his website.
