Actually Invisible centers around a gay high school teacher struggling with grief, marriage, and infertility as she faces public scrutiny following homophobic remarks from a student. Where did the idea for this novel come from?

The idea for this novel came from many of my lived experiences as a human, but particularly as a queer public school teacher. We make headlines, but our fears and daily lives are so rarely described anywhere. I wrote the book I had always wanted to read.

The novel moves between past and present in a way that lets memory actively shape the story. How did you structure that timeline?

I structured the timeline by thinking about what kinds of formative experiences could have informed Josie’s present mindset. This took quite a bit of outlining, but I wanted to make sure I highlighted that she is—as we all are—a culmination of every experience we’ve ever had. I think it also humanizes her even more for the reader.

How did you approach the school storyline and the dynamics of public scrutiny?

I took some stories I had heard about in the news and on social media and essentially combined them with the fears that sometimes kept me up at night.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from Actually Invisible?

I hope readers take away the idea that all anyone wants is to feel seen, understood, and valued. We are all on this Earth searching for those things. Queer teachers are in a unique, complicated position where that experience can be dangerous, but it’s also worthwhile to take the risk, not only for ourselves and our mental health but also for representation for our students—queer and otherwise.

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