In this week's edition of Endnotes, we take a look at National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author Jeremy Atherton Lin's Deep House, where he shrewdly braids the history of gay marriage into an account of his relationship with his husband. In its review, PW said "stylish, sexy, and deeply moving, this blends beautiful prose and incisive social history to stunning effect."
Here's how the book came together:
Jeremy Atherton Lin
“I wanted to write about the love of my life but felt less sure it would be deemed worthwhile. Gradually, I realized that’s what this book is about: refusing to believe messages that we are of lesser worth. When Clarence Thomas suggested revisiting Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court’s 2015 same-sex marriage ruling, it became clear our story isn’t merely one of triumph but continued precarity.”
Laura Macdougall
“Deep House was sold on outline to Little, Brown, but in the U.K.—following another hotly contested auction—we moved him to Allen Lane to reunite him with his editor, who’d moved there from Granta. Deep House shares a sensibility with Gay Bar but feels more urgent and timely in the current political climate.”
Vivian Lee
“Jean Garnett acquired Deep House after the success of Gay Bar. Working with Jeremy has been a true editorial dream: he’s beautiful on the page, so editing this has been a pleasure. He’s incisive and meticulous and incredibly thoughtful, so every subject he covers is written with the utmost care.”
Kirin Diemont
“Our goal was to maintain a visual connection to Gay Bar while giving Deep House its own distinct identity to stand out on shelves. We kept the same title treatment and explored different layout variations to strike that
balance. Ultimately, we landed on this striking image by Jack Pierson, which was suggested by the author.”
