Split is the story of a boy born with genetic chimerism who faces bullying, identity crises, and the fear of following in his father’s footsteps. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

In early 2019, while at the pediatric cardiology office, I learned about a patient who was a fetal chimera. The patient learned about her diagnosis from an astute clinician who observed slight left vs. right-sided physical differences. I had read about chimera patients within the medical literature, but had never read about a protagonist with a chimera diagnosis. However, the scenario seemed perfect for a nature vs. nurture coming-of-age story. 

I imagined my protagonist, a chimera, with left vs. right-sided physical differences, but most importantly, those differences aligned with traits he observed within his parents. Families often discuss the physical features of children, such as eye color, a pointed or rounded chin, or hair color, that are passed down through each generation. In my own family, my son is a near replica of when I was a child, and my daughter looks nearly identical to my wife. Those physical traits could serve as a constant reminder of the genetic differences between his left and right sides, creating the feeling that he had two different identities. Whenever he looked in the mirror, his two different colored eyes would stare back. If his mother were passive and his father was violent, it would give the protagonist reason to worry about which side might dominate their identity.

I began searching the literature, reading about various case reports, and watching an episode of CSI and All My Children, where each utilized a chimera as a character. I even discovered that the singer, Taylor Muhl, had recently told the world she was a chimera. The more I read, the more I decided to leverage the chimera diagnosis to highlight a nature vs. nurture theme. I then built the story around the concept of a chimera. I created Ethan, the protagonist in SPLIT, with heterochromia, or different colored eyes. Most physical differences in a chimera are subtle, but two different colored eyes would undoubtedly cause Ethan to be ostracized in school and bullied.

Is there anything from your own life included in the characters in Split?

There isn’t much from my own life that is included in the characters for Split. However, I did grow up on a beef farm outside of Saratoga, New York, and would often get lost playing in the corn fields!

What is it that draws you to write Teen and Young Adult fiction? 

I think exploring how adolescents develop into adults is fascinating. There are so many influences between friends, family, genetics, and environment, that all have some impact on the development of who a person will become. Split explores this idea in a new and different way with the use of a chimera.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

I am currently working on a story about action vs indifference. When confronted with a dangerous situation, the historical adage was always fight or flight. However, I think there is a growing cohort who no longer flee but watch and record the event on a phone or mobile device. I’m not sure when this will be finished, as I am currently only half way through a first draft.

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