The Making of Shea Macmathar

by Joshua A. Bruner

THE MAKING OF SHEA MACMATHAR (69,000 words) is a character-driven Young Adult novel—a ’90s queer coming-of-age story that follows the tension between living authentically in a ride-or-die friendship and trying to be “normal,” despite being a neurodivergent Dolly Parton fanboy in small-town Texas.

Shea Macmathar was only trying to do his book report presentation for an eighth-grade showcase of real-life heroes. But when he shows up at his conservative Christian school in suburban Dallas dressed as Dolly Parton — complete with heels, dress, and a blond wig, the spectacle proves too much, ending in a humiliating public confrontation with the school poster boy. The principal punishes Shea and sends a strong warning to straighten up. 

Convinced his problems stem from not being able to interpret social cues, Shea convinces his single mother to enroll him in a cotillion class to learn etiquette and proper behavior. 

Separated from his church-school community for the first time in his life, Shea meets Lola, a kindred spirit who has a cultlike obsession with Tori Amos and wants to cut her long black hair off to be like Sinéad O’Connor. But their friendship is threatened when Shea is accidentally adopted by a group of fratty boys, after a misunderstanding/misidentification.

National news of a tragedy quickly becomes local for Shea at school, leading to further bullying and a parents group’s crusade for “family values” that raise the stakes further.

Life at school turns into a nightmare with his only outlet being cotillion. There, he sets about his task to decode the rules of society, only to find out that no single social system exists. He must forge his own path, amid others doing the same. Eventually, he must choose between Lola and the boys, leading to a cathartic public performance.

Comparative titles include Dante and Aristotle Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz and The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth. 

If you’re a literary agent interested in representing the publication of Joshua’s first novel, The Macmathars of Texas, please send an email to jb@joshuabruner.com and he will respond by sharing the first chapter of the novel. If you’d like a specific word or page quantity of the sample, please specify in the introductory email.