We chat with author Tucker Shaw about Right Beside You, which is a fresh, speculative blend of queer romance and coming-of-age where Eddie meets Theo in present-day New York and Francis in a New York of the past… torn between eras and his heart, he must make a decision that will change his life forever.
Hi, Tucker! Welcome back! How have the past three years been since we last spoke?
Three years? Phew. The world has been in upheaval, obviously. But I’ve had my work to keep things balanced. Writing a book means living part time (sometimes full time) in your imagination, which is my favorite place to be.
Your latest novel, Right Beside You, is out April 29th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Time-travel, Polaroids, mystery, love, NYC. (Did I cheat?)
What can readers expect?
Right Beside You is the story of Eddie, a recent high-school graduate who moves to New York uncertain of who he is and what he wants. He quickly tumbles into a bewildering set of experiences—is he time traveling? is he hallucinating? Is New York just a city of magic?—that challenge his perceptions of reality and truth (not always the same thing). In his sometimes-disorienting adventures, he crosses paths with people from the past and the present who compel him to reassess his understanding of himself. Francis (from 1930) and Theo (from the 2020s) and Cookie (timeless) teach him about love and confidence and finding a place in the world. He learns that history isn’t a done deal, it isn’t frozen in amber. History is very much alive and it pulses through us every day. All you have to do is look for it.
Where did the inspiration for Right Beside You come from?
New York City. In many ways, the city is the main character in Right Beside You. When you walk the streets of New York, sometimes you can feel the spirits of people who walked them years ago. It’s like the city itself is a reminder that that none of us exists without everyone who came before, and that includes (perhaps especially includes) queer people. We have always stood on the shoulders of our forebears. From there we reach higher, and then we offer our own shoulders to the next wave.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved digging into historical records about gay life in New York City in the early 1930s, where much of the action is set. I was inspired by just how vital and active and inventive the community was in those years, when the Empire State Building was still unfinished and Mae West was the queen of Broadway. Swimming in those waters while working on this book reminded me that queer people have always found each other and found our way through, no matter how stacked the world is against us. These days, that’s a good thing to remember.
I also loved writing Eddie’s great-great-aunt Cookie. She might be my favorite character in any of my work—exactly the kind of zany, enthusiastic, loving (and beloved) person I want to be someday. Cookie demolishes the boundaries between “real life” and fantasy and does it with glee. She wears sequins in bed!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
We are living in very complicated times on so many fronts. It isn’t always easy to set aside the challenges and anxieties of contemporary life to focus on writing. But I soothed myself by building sentences. I relished making little worlds in my head. And I fell deeply in love with Eddie and Francis and Theo and especially Cookie. They’ve kept me afloat.
What do you hope readers take away from Right Beside You?
I hope readers find an escape in Eddie’s adventures. And when they finish, I hope they carry with them a sense of freedom and optimism and daring. And maybe some style tips from Cookie.
What’s the best and worst writing advice you’ve received?
The worst writing advice I ever got was to write simply for plot, and to spend less time writing about emotions and inner lives. No! A character’s feelings are, to me, the most interesting things to write and read about. Good and bad, ugly and beautiful.
The best writing advice is a quote often attributed to Mary Heaton Vorse: “The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of your pants to the seat of the chair.” In other words, just start. Then see where it goes.
What’s next for you?
Lots of ideas. My day job in food media keeps me busy, but we will see. I still dream of writing a sequel to my previous book, When You Call My Name. Maybe someday I’ll have that chance.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m especially eager to read The Two Roberts by Damian Barr. He is one of my favorite writers. I’m also looking forward to Run Away With Me by Brian Selznick. And I’ve got Karen Russell’s newest, The Antidote, still unopened but singing like a siren from my nightstand.
