Gabriel Bump’s Emotional Journey to Utopia Unraveled

Unveiling The New Naturals at Epilogue Books, Chapel Hill | Nov. 14, 7 p.m.

Join the much-anticipated book launch event with Gabriel Bump.

The Journey of Gabriel Bump to North Carolina

Gabriel Bump’s move to North Carolina was nothing short of dramatic. Bump recounts his winter trip from Buffalo to Durham, with his path engulfed by an extreme snowstorm as he traversed New York and Pennsylvania.

Bump shares his experience in a recent conversation, “The blizzard was awful, but as I ventured further South, the blue skies began to show. It felt great to finally arrive.”

The Unveiling of Gabriel Bump’s Novel, The New Naturals

Bump’s fiction work veers away from simplicity, as showcased in his latest novel, The New Naturals. In this second book—following his first, Everywhere You Don’t Belong, published in 2020—Bump explores the paradoxical nature of utopian visions and the not-so-utopian choices people make.

The novel raises profound questions about human care in a ruthless world. It suggests that in the face of a world seemingly bent on destruction, the only logical action may be to retreat into a protective personal haven.

Bump’s Journey in North Carolina’s Creative Landscape

Upon relocating to North Carolina in 2021, Bump took up his position as an assistant professor at UNC-Chapel Hill’s creative writing program. Even as he was welcomed into the community, the faculty was still reeling from the sudden loss of the celebrated writer, Randall Kenan, a long-standing member of the program.

As Bump recounts, “I knew they were glad to have me, but I could sense their longing for their departed friend… He was a cherished, talented figure. I felt like I got to know him in a peculiar way.”

The Central Theme of Bump’s Novel, The New Naturals

Exploring the ubiquitous reach of grief is a central theme in Bump’s The New Naturals. The novel begins with the story of Rio and Gibraltar, an academic couple, and the birth of their daughter, Drop. Sadly, a few weeks after Drop’s birth, she suffers a terrible coughing fit, fails to recover, and passes away. This tragic loss triggers a series of events leading the couple to form an underground community in western Massachusetts.

The couple’s escape into their self-created haven serves as both a refuge from their personal grief and a safe haven for others who have been denied communal love by a hostile society. In the process of writing this novel, Bump delved into the history of Brazilian quilombos—remote communities established by runaway slaves in the 17th century jungles of Brazil.

Life Imitating Art: Bump’s Personal Journey

Bump’s own life reflects aspects of his novel as he has grappled with periods of deep depression and anxiety. Through it all, he has found balance in acknowledging his past challenges while remaining cautiously aware of the ever-looming return of depression.

His honesty about his characters’ flaws and the resultant humaneness that surfaces through these flaws indicates a sense of earned wisdom. “He is a wise old soul,” Jeff Parker, Bump’s graduate school mentor, affirms, “full of compassion and with a discerning, yet realistic, view on life.”

Bump’s formative years, spent in Chicago, were influenced by the 1990s-era Bulls teams led by a standout UNC alum, Michael Jordan. In The New Naturals, Bump explores the emotional and mental toll of sports on male athletes, a theme that he also delves into in his first novel.

Bump’s Contributions to UNC’s Creative Writing Program

Bump has started to make his mark at UNC’s acclaimed creative writing program, earning the admiration of both his colleagues and students. As Bump’s UNC colleague in the English department, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, shares, “Gabe was an emerging writer everyone was talking about. We all felt fortunate that he chose to join us.”

However, as Bump admits, “North Carolina is a complex place for me,” due to deeply personal reasons. His experience with the loss of his unborn daughter, Simone, was a heart-wrenching ordeal.

Looking Forward: The Future for Gabriel Bump

As Bump moves forward, he embraces a balanced view of life: “Life can be excruciating and messy, but it’s also filled with beauty.”

Readers are invited to comment on this story at arts@indyweek.com.

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