Interview with Michael Holloway Perronne

A Time Before Me
Michael Holloway Perronne
iUniverse (2006)
ISBN 9781583484630
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/07)

Reader Views welcomes Michael Holloway Perronne, author of the gay coming-of-age novel, “A Time Before Me.” Michael is being interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views.

Juanita: Thanks for joining us today Michael.  We are pleased to have a chance to talk with you about your new book, “A Time Before Me.”  Would you start by telling us the storyline of your new novel?

Michael:  In my novel, a gay teen struggles to find his identity in the contrasting worlds of rural Mississippi and the big city of New Orleans. Growing up in a small Mississippi town in the early 1990s, shy and inexperienced Mason spends much of his time with his best friend and secret childhood crush, the charming and daring Billy. When a six-pack of beer leads to a passionate encounter between the two teenagers, Mason believes his dreams may have finally come true. Billy's apparent disregard for the incident, however, leaves Mason feeling confused and betrayed.

When Billy slips off to glamorous New York City immediately after high school graduation, Mason fears he's doomed to spend another humid Mississippi summer scooping ice cream. But Mason's life changes dramatically when vivacious Aunt Savannah invites him to live with her in New Orleans and work in the box office of her drag queen cabaret. It's there-in the decadent and liberating French Quarter-that Mason begins to fall for Joey, a strikingly handsome and sweet nineteen-year-old, who may just be ready to open his heart to someone new. A surprise visit from Billy hints that he may be ready to return Mason's feelings, and Mason faces a difficult choice. With the help of his spirited aunt and a sassy drag queen, Miss Althea, Mason learns that sometimes it's best to roll life's dice and take a chance.

Juanita:  What inspired this, your second novel? 

Michael:  Most gay fiction takes place in urban areas, such as L.A., New York, and San Francisco.  There’s not a lot of gay fiction set in the south, particularly Mississippi.  So, I wanted to tell a story that people back home could relate to while also giving others insight into being gay in the South.

Juanita:  Is there a difference when it comes to the experience of being gay in the South? Most people would assume that there would be much more negativity in the South, is this true?  Is your portrayal of rural Mississippi vs. New Orleans realistic?

Michael:  The South definitely has its own unique culture which I believe has its pros and cons.  I actually had a positive experience coming out in the South.  Of course, having a supportive family helped me a great deal.  But I also know many other openly gay people who live happy productive lives in the South.  One of the things that surprised me when I moved to Los Angeles was the number of people that lived their lives in the closet and the amount of homophobia still present here, too.  I had expected California to be the land of liberalism.  It just made me realize that you can’t really make any generalizations about any part of the country.  That being said I would say it’s easier to be openly gay in New Orleans versus rural Mississippi- of course.  In the book, Mason is able to start to really explore who he is as a young gay male once he arrives in New Orleans and lives with his supportive and understanding Aunt Savannah.

Juanita: Would you give us some insights into your main character, Mason?  And, why does he feel he needs to move to New Orleans?

Michael: After visiting his aunt in New Orleans, he gets his first sights of a gay community- others like him.  It’s sort of like discovering members of his tribe for the first time.  Once he returns to Mississippi, he realizes he has to get back to New Orleans.  He sees it as the only option to be able to really explore his identity.

Juanita:  What is Mason going through in “A Time Before Me” that is typical for any teenager?

Michael:  Mason, like any teen, is trying to figure out who he is and his place in the world.  He also deals with family situations that any teen can go through- parental expectations and sibling rivalries. 

Juanita:  What do the other young men coming in and out of Mason’s life represent?

Michael: To me, Billy and Joey represent other young gay men at different points in their acceptance of being gay.  Joey had the opportunity to grow up surrounded by other gay people, so he’s already much more comfortable in his own skin.  Billy, on the other hand, is still struggling to figure out how to make his way through life as a gay man and does a great deal of fumbling around, much more than Mason.  Billy doesn’t have an Aunt Savannah.  He’s truly on his own during this journey and as a result makes some bad decisions in his desperation to feel like he belongs somewhere.

Juanita:  What is the underlying message of “A Time Before Me”?  What are you hoping readers will learn from this novel?

Michael:  I think beyond coming out or what it’s like growing up gay the main message in the novel is about learning to take chances in life.  It’s so easy to stay in your comfort zone and not push things or try to go in a different direction, whether it’s romance, career, or anything.  It’s a lesson I had to learn myself, especially when it came to my writing.

Juanita:  I understand that “A Time Before Me” is set in the early 90’s. Why did you choose this time period, and how does influence or accentuate the plot?

Michael:  Like Mason, I also came out in the early 90s.  I feel like the early 90s were sort of a golden moment in gay rights.  Awareness of gay rights, partly due to the Clinton administration, were reaching new levels.  Gay people were taking to the streets, even in Mississippi, demanding equal rights.  There seemed to be this feeling that we were at the cusp of a huge wave of change when it came to the perception of gay people.  It was an exciting time to come out.

Juanita:  How hard is it for a teenager to carry the secret of being gay, especially during this critical time of discovering who they are in relation to the world around them?  Do you think there are any behaviors (outward or inward) that become a product of this denial of identity?

Michael: Definitely.  Being a teenager is hard enough, but having to carry this secret adds an unbelievable amount of stress to an already tough stage of life.  The suicide rate for gay and lesbian teens is estimated to be three times that of straight teens, and that’s often because they have no one to turn, too.  Just as Mason says in my novel, you feel like you might as well be the only gay person in the world.  Thankfully, today’s teens have such resources as the internet, and there are many more gay positive images in the media.  But it’s still extremely hard.  When you’re a teen the most important thing seems to be a feeling of belonging, and when you’re gay, it’s hard to find that sense of peace.  For myself, I didn’t have any sense of belonging until I went to college and connected with other gay people around my age.

Juanita:  Would you elaborate on your coming-of-age theme?  Do you think that this message is stronger than the gay context of your story?

Michael:  Since Mason goes through so many rites of passage that any teen goes through I would say the coming-of-age theme is actually stronger than the gay context.  One of the messages I really wanted to show through the story is that gay teens go through many of the same things as straight teens.  In the end, I believe all people are actually more alike than different.  Unfortunately, I think society places most of the emphasis on how we are different.  We all want love, acceptance, and to be like we belong.

Juanita:  Is the publishing industry welcoming to gay fiction novels?  This is your second book, and you have another coming out this year.  What has been your experience with the process and industry so far?

Michael:  I think to an extent gay fiction is still thought of as a “niche genre.”  My second novel, Starstruck: A Hollywood Saga, is perhaps my more “mainstream book,” and the majority of the characters in the book are straight.  However, I noticed by the time the book was released I had already been branded as a “gay novelist”, and, for the most part, I was only able to get press for Starstruck in the gay media.  That proved to be a little frustrating because I felt the book could have had a much larger readership.  But when I call it a day, if I end up spending my whole writing career just writing what’s considered “gay fiction” and readers enjoy it, I’ll be more than happy.

Juanita:  How has your own life influenced your writing, the stories you choose to tell?

Michael:  In all three of my books, there’s a theme of self-discovery and self-acceptance.  It’s a process I struggled with myself, especially in my 20s, which is why I think it keeps popping up in my writing.

Juanita:  I understand that you received your degree in Film and have worked extensively in the television and film industry.  Would you give us an idea of your background, and why did you decide to begin writing novels?

Michael:  I studied screenwriting while in grad school and initially pursued that when I moved to Los Angeles.  Ironically, once I moved to Los Angeles I started reading more fiction and watching fewer movies.  So at that point, I began to think about switching to novel writing.  One of the great things about writing a novel versus a screenplay is you don’t have to worry about a film budget.  You can take your story anywhere at anytime because the entire story is being told from the page instead of the movie screen.

Juanita: Being initially a film student, does this experience influence your writing process?  Do you see things first in the context of actors on a screen?

Michael:  When I started writing fiction instead of screenplays I had to start thinking about my writing in a completely different way.  It was hard to switch gears because I did see things first in context of actors on a screen.  In screenwriting, you also can’t get into the character’s head and you can only write what the audience can see on the screen.  I found writing novels to be so liberating because I was able to explore characters in ways I was not able to before. 

Juanita: Who is your reading audience?   Would non-gay readers enjoy “A Time Before Me”? 

Michael:  One of the more surprising and gratifying things I’ve experienced is the amount of positive responses I’ve gotten from straight readers- particularly parents of gay children.  Of course, the book explores universal themes that any teenager may go through whether they are gay or straight, such as dealing with family and learning to take chances in life.

Juanita:  Michael, how can readers find out more about you and your endeavors?

Michael:  They can head over to my website www.michaelhperronne.com. 

Juanita:  Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today Michael.  We encourage readers to look for your fantastic book, “A Time Before Me” at local and online bookstores.  Do you have any last thoughts you’d like to share?

Michael:  I’d like to thank all of the readers that have already been so supportive of the book.  It’s meant so much to me.

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