St. John’s University welcomed back alumna author Tembe Denton-Hurst for a reading of her debut novel “Homebodies” on March 18 in the D’Angelo Center. The event was sponsored by the University Writing Center, the LGBTQ+ Center and the University’s English Department. 

Denton-Hurst — staff writer at The Strategist under New York Magazine — narrated excerpts and answered questions from the students and faculty in attendance. The conversation traversed Denton-Hurst’s inspiration, her writing style and the process of how “Homebodies” came to be.

Emerging as a pandemic project, the novel explores the experiences of main character, Mickey, who is fired from her media job where she wrote beauty articles for a fizzling-out magazine. Knowing her firing was because of a racist, self-centered CEO, Mickey writes a letter detailing her experiences at her former publication. It goes viral, and Mickey learns to navigate what exactly that means for the trajectory of her life. 

“What happened to Mickey was very similar to what happened to me,” Denton-Hurst explained as she went into details of her own unjust firing early on in her career. Plus, how unjust the entire media industry as a whole has become, now that inflation has made a living wage impossible and the elite are taking over, backed by rich spouses.

Simultaneously in “Homebodies,” Mickey and her partner, Lex, start the book discussing marriage, detailing through warm language the intertwined life these women have built together. Life takes a hold of them both and the two learn what it means to find themselves as separate entities. 

Mickey and Lex’s relationship is one part to the web Denton-Hurst weaves of who Mickey is. The author notes that the pair’s dynamic “wasn’t ground breaking, but I knew it was nothing like what I’ve read,” bringing up how there’s a place for queer-oriented narratives, but Denton-Hurst didn’t think it was hers. 

Taking great interest in the “interplay of identity,” Denton-Hurst discussed how through “Homebodies” she sought to explore the existence of a black woman not striving for excellence, one who’s in a way mediocre and just overall normal. 

Denton-Hurst says, “I’m not trying to make a point but more so show how the socio-political circumstances are making [Mickey] into this person.” Mickey’s race, sexuality, residence, job and job status are all factors in her existence, labels that are easily changed and redefined, as readers see throughout the novel. 

A deep dive on love, loss, rebuilding and healing, Denton-Hurst gave insight as to how she found the courage to put this story to life. “I doubt myself [as a writer] everyday, but I was like ‘what’s the worst that can happen?’”

“Writing was never easy, but it felt imperative to me. I was going to try.” 

Denton-Hurst goes at length to thank those who were a part of this journey across her Instagram page and in the book itself. Gratitude overflowing, Denton-Hurst is a symbol of what it means to mean it. “Homebodies” embodies this just as much as she does.