'Idlewild' follows a queer, teen friendship in early 2000s New York
Dec 9, 2023
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Author James Frankie Thomas discusses his debut novel 'Idlewild' which explores the intense friendship between two teenagers in 2000s New York. Topics include queer culture, fan fiction, self-discovery, and the challenges faced by trans individuals.
Idlewild explores the tension and unspoken desires in a friendship between a lesbian and a girl who is not attracted to women.
The author's journey of self-discovery while writing Idlewild led him to reflect on his own identity and eventually transition.
Deep dives
Setting and Characters
Idlewild is a debut novel by author James Frankie Thomas set in a Quaker High School in Lower Manhattan. The story revolves around two teenagers, Faye and Nell, who form a close friendship after the 9-11 attacks. The book explores themes of friendship and intense relationships that often develop during high school.
Faye and Nell's Friendship
Faye and Nell are drawn to each other because of their shared excitement about homosexuality. However, while Nell is a lesbian and has romantic feelings for Faye, Faye herself does not find herself attracted to women. This creates tension and unspoken desires in their friendship. The author, James Frankie Thomas, initially believed that teen girls, regardless of their sexual orientation, are interested in homoerotic subtext and writing gay fanfiction. However, through feedback from others, he discovered that individuals like Faye often grow up to be gay trans men. This realization prompted him to revise the entire novel and also led him to reflect on his own identity.
Personal Discovery and Transition
While writing Idlewild, James Frankie Thomas had a major personal discovery about himself. Despite not identifying as gay, he found that revisiting his favorite gay movies and fanfiction from his teenage years brought him immense joy. Eventually, he learned about gay men who were also trans and realized the similarities between his experiences and theirs. This revelation eventually led him to transition and start living as his authentic self. James acknowledges the challenges faced by trans individuals in today's society and expresses gratitude for the opportunity to explore his identity and share his story through writing.
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, two teenagers form a tight bond at their Quaker high school in Manhattan. That's the premise for Idlewild, the debut novel by James Frankie Thomas. But while the girls share an intense common interest in gay culture and fan fiction, their friendship blows up in unexpected ways — something they must reckon with years later. In today's episode, Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes speaks with Thomas about his take on the prep school novel and discovering some giant truths about himself while trying to understand the lives of his characters.