The Gravity of Us (24 page)
Authors: Phil Stamper
Dear Reader,
Being a Certified Nerd™, I’ve always been fascinated by accounts of the space race and the missions that followed. I’ve read dozens of astronaut/engineer memoirs, watched every documentary I could find, and I’ve even been known to raid antique shops in my search for
LIFE
magazines from the era. In a way, the research I did for this story goes back more than a decade.
While I’ve always been charmed by the science and technology behind the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, one thing always called out to me in the background of these stories. The astronaut families unexpectedly became celebrities of this era, gracing the covers of magazines and giving interviews for national news outlets. This meant the astronauts’ spouses and children had to be immaculately dressed, polished, and ready to entertain, all while not knowing if their
husbands or fathers would come home alive that night. In
The Gravity of Us
, I wanted to capture this brilliant tension while also showcasing a contemporary queer love story.
Like so many authors, I’ve always loved reading. From the historical fiction diary series Dear America, to the creepy sci-fi Animorphs series, to—of course—the world of Harry Potter, I couldn’t get enough. My tastes were always changing, and by high school I found myself getting into cozy mysteries, reading all forty of the Agatha Christie books that were available at my school library in the span of a year. As a quiet, closeted queer kid growing up in a farming village in Ohio, books became my everything.
But even in the world of fiction, the safe space I’d built for myself, I never got to
see
myself in these books. Sure, I could relate to Hermione getting picked on for being a bit of a know-it-all—yep, I was that kid—but I never saw a gay boy on the cover of any books. My experience wasn’t on the page, and it felt like it never would be. But now, there are so many fantastic queer books on the shelves, and I’m so lucky to be able to write the books I’d have needed most as a teen.
Thank you for reading.
All my best,
Phil Stamper
The Gravity of Us
has only one name on the cover, but if I listed everyone who had an influence on this book—and my career—it’d take another hundred pages. I know every other author says that, but it’s true. There’s no way I could have done this alone! Because of all your help, some thank-yous are in order:
To Brent Taylor, the best agent in the biz, for being a steadfast champion of my work. There’s no one out there who works harder for their clients, and I consider myself very lucky to be represented by you. And an extra special thank-you to my agent sibling Whitney Gardner, who first connected me with Brent. You’re the best cheerleader I could have had through this process.
To Mary Kate Castellani, my brilliant editor, for having a wealth of faith in me—and Cal!—from day one. You pushed me, you caught me
every time
I cut corners, and helped me
create a book I’m unbelievably proud to call my own. To all of Bloomsbury Children’s—Claire Stetzer, Courtney Griffin, Lily Yengle, Erica Barmash, Oona Patrick, Danielle Ceccolini, Donna Mark, Melissa Kavonic, and Cindy Loh—and to my illustrator Patrick Leger for their creativity, insight, professionalism, and enthusiasm throughout this process.
To Chelsea Sedoti and Jenny Howe for your early critiques. You were the first people to get to know and love Cal, and your excitement for his journey built my confidence as I readied the book for the submissions process.
To Josh Hlibichuk for being a fantastic friend through all this. You were the first person I told about my book deal, which makes sense, as you were the first person I complained to about every single step of the submissions process. And to Jo Farrow for coming up with the title of the book, and for all your support and friendship over the years—I hate to expose this secret, but you’re a softie at heart and everyone needs to know it.
To the amazing authors who blurbed this book: Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera, Karen M. McManus, Jeff Zentner, Shaun David Hutchinson, Caleb Roehrig, Julian Winters, Chelsea Sedoti, and Adib Khorram. Having read and loved your books
so much
, I was beyond honored to have your support.
To Adam, Caleb, and Kevin—with special guests Ryan and Kosoko. By the time this book is out, the snake (me) will have already been revealed and destroyed our chat. We’re probably sworn enemies now, but know that I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the Real Housewives of YA. *twirl*
To Beth Revis for her magical query critiques and constant guidance. To Caitie for being an advocate for my work. And to all my writerly friends who haven’t already been mentioned, including Lilah, Kristine, Greg, Rachel, Anna, Katie, Katelyn, Jess, Leann, Marley, Morgan, Tasha, Annie, Melissa, Kim, and Nic.
To Amanda Bennett for originally (and continually) encouraging me to write novels. And to Ali, Laura, and Meghan for taking me in when I was twenty-two and had no business making adult decisions for myself. Without you all, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Especially you, Laura.
*crash*
To Heather Croley. From fast getaways with the parking brake on, to “415 Miles for Ronnie Day,” the only reason I’m able to write such real, meaningful YA friendships is because of everything we had … and still have!
To Ali and Reuven Szleifer for your friendship through the most stressful and the most exciting years of my writing career to date. There’s no one else I’d rather share a bottle (… or two) of celebratory ros
é
with. To Diana S., Kiersten M., Greg M., Caitlin P., Jasmine B., Elizabeth M., Megan L., Nicole A., Chloe F., Hannah A., and Whitney D.—your friendship and support over all this time have been priceless.
To my husband, Jonathan, for being by my side through the many highs and lows of this process. Over the years, you’ve stepped into many roles—editor, manager, therapist, and cheerleader—and without your support and input, there’s no way I’d be the writer (or the person) I am today. I love you!
To Andi and Bruce, Rachel and Greg, and the rest of the
Stein family for all the love and support you’ve given me over the years.
To my parents, Karen and Phil (Sr.), for always encouraging me to pursue my creative and nerdy passions. Whether it was a community theatre performance, marching band show, or piano recital, you always made sure you had a front-row seat. You’ve been cheering me on every step of the way, and I’m so happy I make you proud. To the rest of the Stamper and Lamb families for all the love you’ve given to me (and this book!) over the years. I love you all so much!
To Ella Lamb, my granny, for everything you did to make me who I am today, from buckets of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken to the countless games of Euchre, Yahtzee, and
Vegas Stakes
we played over the years. I’ll always be your buddy.
BLOOMSBURY YA
Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018
BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First published in the United States of America in February 2020 by Bloomsbury YA
Text copyright © 2020 by Phil Stamper
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Stamper, Phil, author.
Title: The gravity of us / by Phil Stamper.
Description: New York : Bloomsbury, 2020.
Summary: When his volatile father is picked to become an astronaut for NASA’s mission to Mars, seventeen-year-old Cal, an aspiring journalist, reluctantly moves from Brooklyn to Houston, Texas, and looks for a story to report, finding an ally (and crush) in Leon, the son of another astronaut.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019019167 (print) | LCCN 2019022112 (e-book)
ISBN 978-1-5476-0014-4 (hardcover) • ISBN 978-1-5476-0015-1 (e-book)
Subjects: CYAC: Journalism—Fiction. | Family problems—Fiction. | Astronauts—Fiction. | United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration—Fiction. | Love—Fiction. | Gays—Fiction. | Houston (Tex.)—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.S7316 Gr 2020 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.S7316 (e-book) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at
https://
lccn
.loc
.gov
/2019019167
LC e-book record available at
https://
lccn
.loc
.gov
/2019022112
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