"Devin's Dreams" - A Time-Traveling Journey and Author Interview About LGBTQ History and Experience
As those of you who follow me know, part of my work here is to help amplify the voices and creative works of LGBTQ artists, writers, and visionaries. In my ongoing interview series, we celebrate those who are using their talents to explore the depths of queer experiences across cultures and generations
Today, I have the pleasure of featuring D. C. Wilkinson, an educator-turned-author whose debut novel "Devin's Dreams" weaves a captivating tale that transcends boundaries of time, identity, and self-discovery. Drawing from his own decades of experience working with LGBTQ youth in New York City's public schools, D. C. crafts a multidimensional narrative that immerses readers in one man's journey through the struggles, joys, and universal connections that bind the queer community.
In this insightful interview, D. C. reflects on the evolution of LGBTQ societal attitudes since his own formative years in the 1970s. He shares inspirations behind "Devin's Dreams," navigating themes like bullying, coming out, body image pressures, and the perseverance required to live authentically. His perspectives offer a poignant reminder of how far LGBTQ rights have progressed through tireless activism and refusal to remain unseen.
But "Devin's Dreams" is more than just a window into the past - it's an invitation to transcend boundaries and find the shared humanity that connects all people across the expanses of time and reality. We encourage you to get your hands on this compelling read and experience D. C.'s masterful storytelling for yourself.
As LGBTQ artists and creators, sharing our truths through creative expression fortifies understanding, empathy and community growth. If you have a passion project you'd like to be featured in this Substack series, feel free to reach out.
For now, dive into D. C.'s captivating perspective as we discuss "Devin's Dreams" and its powerful resonances for today's queer community. Remembering where we came from illuminates where we're going - and ultimately refocuses us on embracing the present with openness and pride in who we are.
BACKGROUND
Can you tell us a bit about your previous career as an educator working with disadvantaged youth?
I was an educator in the New York City public schools for 30 years. I consider myself privileged to have served a richly diverse population of inner city high school students. All of them, without exception, had much to offer their local communities, society and the world. Therefore, from that perspective, they were not disadvantaged.
What were some of the unique challenges LGBTQ youth faced?
I started teaching in the early 80s, when many LGBTQ persons living in America were still quite literally invisible. That was one of our unique challenges. Society refused to see us, except in stereotypical and negative ways. The world was not a welcoming place. In fact, it was dangerous, and at times, lethal. So for many of us, discretion was of the essence. At the time, LGBTQ students, teachers, parents, and everyone else, could hardly escape that grim reality.
BOOK OVERVIEW
What is "Devin's Dreams" about?
"Devin's Dreams" is a 360-page story that begins with what happens to a gentle-natured kid, who keeps waking up at night, frightened by recurring visions of strangers moving among shadows in his bedroom. He tells his family about it and insists that what he sees and hears is real. They dismiss him. So he clams up and begins to withdraw and turn inward. This gets him in trouble at school with his male peers taunting him and harassing him. As a gay teen in the 70s Devin's sleep issues are just one more secret he keeps locked up in his closet. Then, in his freshman year in college something happens that changes everything. While experimenting with hard drugs, his quirky visions resurface and a rabbit hole materializes out of nowhere. A mysterious force hurls him into it and he ends up in a world centuries before his own. There he encounters strangers who appear to know him...
What was the inspiration behind writing it?
My inspiration for "Devin's Dreams" came from various sources. In Chapter I for instance, Devin suffers what today we know as bullying. This happened to me when I was a kid in school. Other chapters describe several intense moments when Devin goes through the process of coming out. These moments parallel my own experiences but also those of many others. Also, as the reader travels with Devin to alternative timelines, various characters emerge whose lives reflect the general idea that LGBTQ individuals living in very different historical contexts have many things in common with each other.
How did your experiences helping LGBTQ students inform or inspire aspects of your book?
All of my students, regardless of their backgrounds or sexual orientation inspired me with their amazing ability to adapt, survive and eventually thrive in an often hostile social and economic environment. LGBTQ students in particular faced additional challenges as they were often shunned, ridiculed and even beaten up, if they dared to be themselves. Still many persevered in being their authentic selves. One of my characters in "Devin's Dreams" who lived in the mid-18th century in London was very much a person who exhibited such courage and bravery.
Your book, "Devin's Dreams" touches on your own experiences as a young gay man in the 1970s. How have societal attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals evolved since then?
While Devin is a fictional character, there are some parallels between his experiences and mine. Like Devin, I came of age in the 70s when society everywhere in the West was still reeling from the effects of the Viet Nam War, the Flower Power Movement, the hippies and Woodstock. Not to mention, the Stonewall riots or "uprising", as some prefer to call this defining moment in LGBTQ history in the United States as well as the world at large.
Since then, we have seen how our community has evolved from being an invisible, oppressed minority to what it is today. Indeed, societal attitudes have changed toward us but only because we have fought hard for those changes to happen. I can remember one Pride Parade I attended in New York City in the mid-80s that to me, says it all.
As I stood among thousands on Fifth Avenue we chanted: "We're here! We're queer! Get used to us!" A simple message, but so poignant. We were NOT okay with being invisible.
In one of your comments that appeared in Substack you mentioned "twinks, chubs and bears" in the 70s. Can you expand on confronting body image issues/standards in the LGBTQ community back then?
If you were a gay male in the 70s, you were considered "sexy/attractive/hot/beautiful" if you were thin, hairless and blond. Twinks fit the bill. Popular gay magazines like Blue Boy made sure their pages were filled with photographs of twinks. Men of color, beefy, chubby, hairy, and older "types" were ignored. In other words, there was one standard for beauty: the twink standard. And it was imposed on everyone else. How things have changed! Today diversity thrives within our gay male community with all kinds of organizations and publications that proudly reflect the richness of our members: bears, otters, wolves, chubbies, gym bunnies, twinks, geeks, twunks, all racial and ethnic backgrounds, etc. YAY!
How long did the writing process take from start to finish? What were some of the easiest and most difficult parts?
I started writing "Devin's Dreams" at the beginning of 2020 and finished it at the end of 2023. I enjoyed every bit of it. I had the plot in my head, so that part was easy. But for some reason, writing about Devin's life journey in twentieth century America seemed a bit of a task compared to writing about the characters that lived in mid-18th century Europe. Also, the editing process seemed eternal.
As an LGBTQ author, what did you hope to achieve or what messages did you want to convey through this book?
We're all part of a universal entity, a universal mind and soul which, I very much suspect, is eternal. All lives matter, here on this planet and everywhere in every spacetime. Respect, kindness and compassion for all forms of life is essential for coexistence.
THE WRITING/PUBLISHING PROCESS
For aspiring authors, what advice would you give about the writing and editing process?
Take your time to digest your thoughts and feelings. Writer's block is normal. We all struggle with it sooner or later. Take a walk in the woods and breathe. Just breathe.
How did you go about finding a publisher for Devin's Dreams?
I guess I was lucky. I trusted the advice of someone who was familiar with a publisher that offered a seamless process. And it was seamless. No hiccups.
Why did you choose the route you did?
I did not and do not wish to give up my copyrights for a few coins. I place a high value on the time, the discipline and the effort that took me to write "Devin's Dreams".
What was something you wish you had known before starting this creative journey as an author?
Formatting a manuscript as extensive as mine is a bitch. Again, I was lucky to have someone competent, with whom I worked collaboratively to get it right. But it was a long process and it was not easy. Promoting sales is also a bitch. I wish I knew more about it.
What were some of the biggest rewards or most gratifying moments in becoming a published author?
I'm still in the moment. My book was only published at the end of February of this year. Having "Devin's Dreams" reach readers everywhere who enjoy historical fiction, fantasy and LGBTQ-themed narratives is most satisfying to me.
LOOKING AHEAD
Are you working on any new writing projects you can share with us?
I am currently working on a collection of poems that I would like to put into a book, but it's going to be a while before I complete it.
What are your hopes for how Devin's Dreams will resonate with LGBTQ readers in particular?
I hope "Devin's Dreams" inspires other LGBTQ writers to continue to examine themes that affect us all and that transcend time.
Are there any themes/topics you'd like to explore in future writing for the LGBTQ community?
Absolutely. I would like to continue to explore LGBTQ experiences in history across the globe. I am curious about how LGBTQ individuals lived their lives and coped with their particular day-to-day circumstances vis'a'vis their contemporaries, wherever and whenever they were in the world.
What message would you like to leave for LGBTQ youth who may be struggling to find their path?
We're all struggling to find our way, young and old. Growing and maturing is part of the process. So just keep going. Don't give up!
In closing my sincere thanks to D.C. for his time to take part in this very interesting interview. If you have enjoyed this article, please like and subscribe and share with the wider world.
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