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In writing 'Idlewild,' author James Frankie Thomas discovered his own trans nature

Author James Frankie Thomas. (Courtesy)
Author James Frankie Thomas. (Courtesy)

Host Deepa Fernandes speaks with author James Frankie Thomas about his new novel “Idlewild,” which centers around the friendship of two teens in a Quaker high school in the early 2000s.

Workshopping the book at the Iowa Writers Workshop revealed to Thomas the trans nature of one of his characters as well as himself.

The cover of “Idlewild” by James Frankie Thomas. (Courtesy)

Book excerpt: ‘Idlewild’

By James Frankie Thomas

Excerpt from the new novel “Idlewild” by James Frankie Thomas published by The Overlook Press © 2023.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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