“Queer People Belong Here”: An Interview with Matthew Hubbard https://ift.tt/BxvcgD8
As soon as I heard about Hubbard’s sophomore novel, The Rebel’s Guide to Pride, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Featuring a newly out teenager determining for himself what it means to be a “good gay,” a small town coming together to fight bigotry, and young people getting involved in local politics, this book was absolutely up my alley. The speakeasy vibes are impeccable, and there are many sparkling, fun moments in the book, like main character Zeke and Sawyer’s sneaky birthday breakfast tradition, a suddenly pink town statue, and some truly killer parties.
There are, of course, many moments of teenagers being teenagers and making mistakes, but there is an incredible depth to these characters that’s relevant to readers of any age. As a gay teenager in a small Alabama town, Zeke has a lot of challenges to work through in his relationships and his own identity. He’s asking himself questions that many adults (myself included) are asking themselves now, like how to show up for your community in a way that feels authentic.
A huge focus of the book is community — what it means to love and stand up for and with others against hatred. There are some really wonderful intergenerational relationships here, like Zeke and his mom relearning each other and Zeke’s relationship with Addie, a student Zeke has in a tutoring program (plus Addi’s adult) that create a powerful statement that we all really do need each other.
These are the kinds of things that make this book particularly relevant in 2025. Though things may be terrifying and some policies make it difficult to even exist as a queer person, The Rebel’s Guide to Pride reminds us that there are always people who want to support others. This book acts, in some ways, as a blueprint for how to find your village and how to settle into activism that works for you. After all, all those bigots (or even just people telling us that we should be someone else) are only the catalysts for us to love ourselves and our communities harder. As Zeke says, “they made us rebels.”
Matthew Hubbard writes the kind of stories he wished he’d had as a teen in rural Alabama. He grew up on a mountaintop farm and knows more than he is willing to admit about small towns. He studied English, marketing, and psychology in college and has spent a majority of his life speaking up to make a difference. When he isn’t writing, Matthew can be found on a hike in search of breathtaking views, reading as many books as he can get his hands on, and cheering for his favorite hockey team. He lives in Chattanooga with his husband, their dogs, Layla and Phillip, and Jay Gatsby the cat. The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge is his first novel.
I feel like a lot has happened since we last chatted before the release of your first book, The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge. Were there any moments that really stick out to you as surreal or highlights or where you really felt like a writer?
I vividly recall panicking before the launch of TLBRFR. I was worried nobody would show up, and I told myself that at least my friends would be there. It was surreal to arrive and see so many people. I went to the bathroom and had a good cry. Looking at myself in the mirror moments before it began, that was when I felt like a writer. The highlights of this experience are, without a doubt, moments when a reader shares their story of being queer in a small town. It reminds me of why I want to write these types of stories, and it makes me immensely grateful that I get to do so now.
Zelda Fitzgerald is a huge presence in this story. How did you land on her as an influence or inspiration for your characters?
Much like Zeke’s mother, Zelda Fitzgerald is my favorite woman in history. I remember learning about her when I was younger and being awestruck by the fact she got out of Alabama and became an icon during the Roaring Twenties as the first American flapper. It made me believe that anything I wanted to be was possible too. Granted, I know Zelda has a sordid history, but at her core I believe she had a rebel heart just like Zeke. I wanted him to feel as inspired as I did and believe he, too, can be whoever he wanted, and that’s why I brought her lore into the story. Fun fact: Zelda’s only novel Save Me the Waltz is about a woman named Alabama Beggs… and so, I set the story in Beggs, Alabama, to honor her!
This book is all about finding your people – like Sawyer and Zeke, the friends who will call you on your mistakes and help you fix them and love you the whole time – but also your larger community. Do you have any advice for how to find community?
It was important to me to showcase community, as well as friends who have the audacity to call you on your BS. Let’s face it, Zeke does have a lot BS (and there’s a reason!). I think it’s crucial to find your larger community because when it’s just you, it feels like you’re alone. And that makes you question what the point is when trying to take a stand. Community unites voices to form a battle cry. That’s why I always suggest for people to seek out those who value your same ideas. It could be a local sports team in your town, a rec center, political campaign, or even a book club for example. When you get together with people who don’t make you feel alone, you feel like your voice matters. And that’s crucial to finding your place to belong and fighting to keep it.
I love that Estrella Books and the Beggs library are such touchpoints in this story, and of course, we here at the SRB believe in the power of libraries and independent bookstores being forces for good. Did you have any particular places in mind (bookstores or otherwise) that are similar safe spaces or catalysts for change in your world?
Thank you! Indie bookstores and libraries have such a special place in my heart, and they both bolstered my confidence to pursue writing. The idea of Estrella Books came about from the former indie bookstore Star Line Books (hence the name!) in Chattanooga where I spent so much time daydreaming of being an author; this fictional bookstore was also greatly influenced by the new indie bookstore The Book & Cover where I spent time writing my first book and feeling at home amidst the shelves. A close librarian friend of mine showed me the wonders of libraries as an adult, and she taught me how much they give back to the community. I think places like these bookstores and libraries are where shy, quiet kids with a head full of dreams (like I used to be) can breathe and take up space—that’s what important. They give patrons both the freedom to exist so they can dream of better worlds and the tools to make it happen.
TLBRFR was also political, but The Rebel’s Guide to Pride is even more so. How does it feel to publish this book at this moment in time?
It really <expletive> sucks, to be quite honest. I had hoped that the story I created in Rebel’s would be a fictional account of “here’s what to do should a worst-case scenario happens” for queer teens in small-minded, small towns. Now, it’s more non-fiction that I could have ever thought possible. I’m fighting back right alongside Zeke and his friends… and I hope readers out there pick it up and truly see it as a guide to fight back too.
There are a lot of really powerful, resonant lines in this novel, like when Sawyer talks about how the bigots in Beggs, Alabama want the LGBTQ+ community to think they “don’t deserve to be people too. So don’t give them the satisfaction of dismissing your life.” And of course, the last line, “They made us rebels,” which is still ringing in my ears. If you could make sure readers remember one sentence or message or theme from the book, what would it be?
First off, thank you for saying I wrote powerful, resonant lines — this is an utmost compliment, and I’m honored! I both love the line Sawyer delivers (and the context in which she says it) and the last line, which could have been the title of the book. Of course, I don’t want to give anything away with the ending, but the last paragraph with that last line is what I hope readers will remember because it sums up the book and why I ended it the way I did. Another would be the line Zeke’s mom says, “You’re speaking up by being part of it. That’s what’s important now. You never know who’s listening, so be proud.” This becomes a theme in the story because corrupt people in power want to silence LGBTQIA+ people, and the best way to fight back is by using your voice in whatever capacity you can.
What do you hope your writing makes clear about your corner of the South?
I hope this book (as well as my first and the next!) makes this explicitly clear: Queer people belong here. To me, growing up queer in the South made me want to run as far away as possible. However, by writing stories based in the South, I want to strip away the fear of belonging — to show readers they have the right to exist here, and anywhere else for that matter.
Rapid Fire Questions: How many tabs do you have open right this minute?
I’m a notorious tab-closer with none open at the moment!
What’s the last podcast you listened to?
The last podcast I listened to is Was It Chance?
What’s your late-night snack of choice?
Sweet potato tortilla chips!
When’s the last time you had a Baja Blast?
Yesterday, actually!
What’s the weirdest nickname you have for your pets?
“Muppet Babies.”
What’s your favorite book on the third shelf of your bookshelf?
Alison Cochrun’s The Charm Offensive.
What’s in the upper right corner of your desk?
A white mug from The Book & Cover indie bookstore.
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