Further Out Than You Thought: A Novel

Combining the eloquence and raw sensuality of Jeanette Winterson with the romantic, renegade spirit of Patti Smith, Further Out Than You Thought is a taut and erotically charged literary debut, set against the chaos of the 1992 L.A. riots, about three people searching for identity and meaning from award-winning poet and indie bookshop co-founder Michaela Carter.

In the Neverland that is Los Angeles, where make-believe seems real, three dreamers find themselves on the verge of transformation. Twenty-five-year-old poet Gwendolyn Griffin works as a stripper to put herself through graduate school. Her perpetually stoned boyfriend Leo dresses in period costume to hawk his music downtown, and seems to be losing his already tenuous grip on reality. And their flamboyant best friend and neighbor, nightclub crooner Count Valiant, is slowly withering away.

When the city explodes in violence after the Rodney King verdict, the chaos becomes a catalyst for change. Valiant is invigorated, Leo plans a new stunt—walking into east L.A., naked, holding a white flag—and Gwen, discovering she is pregnant, is confronted by troubling questions. Can Leo become a good, dependable father? Can she leave the club life behind, or will the city’s spell prove too seductive?

Combining poetry and sensuality with an edgy urban sensibility, Further Out Than You Thought is a celebration of life and a haunting story of love, friendship, and one woman’s quest for redemption.

From award-winning poet Michaela Carter comes a taut and erotically charged literary debut, set against the chaos of the 1992 L.A. riots, about three twentysomethings searching for meaning in their lives

In the Neverland that is Los Angeles, where make-believe seems possible, three dreamers find themselves on the verge of transformation. Twenty-five-year-old poet Gwendolyn Griffin works as a stripper to put herself through graduate school. Her perpetually stoned boyfriend, Leo, dresses in period costume to hawk his music downtown and seems to be losing his already tenuous grip on reality. And their flamboyant best friend and neighbor, nightclub crooner Count Valiant, is slowly withering away.

When the city explodes in violence after the Rodney King verdict, the chaos becomes a catalyst for change. Valiant is invigorated; Leo plans a new stunt—walking into East L.A. naked, holding a white flag; and Gwen, discovering she is pregnant, is pulled between the girl she's been and the woman she could become. But before Gwen can embrace motherhood, she's forced to face the questions she's been avoiding: Can Leo be a father? Can she leave the club life behind, or will the city's spell prove too seductive?

Weaving poetry and sensuality with an edgy urban sensibility, Further Out Than You Thought is a celebration of life, an ode to motherhood, and a haunting story of love, friendship, and one woman's quest for redemption.

“Michaela Carter deftly explores the mysteries of the body, the city, and the spirit in this compelling debut. Further Out Than You Thought is as seductive as a velvet-curtained club, as surprising as a dancer who first peels off her clothes, then peels away her skin to reveal her shimmering, complicated heart.” - Gayle Brandeis, author of The Book of Dead Birds

“Michaela Carter is such a fine, original writer, with a gritty sensuality and musical ear. The characters in Further Out Than You Thought are young, self-destructive, and wild, as well as vulnerable and complex. This is an enthralling book.” - Kate Christensen, author of The Astral

“Further Out Than You Thought is as seductive as a velvet-curtained club, as surprising as a dancer who first peels off her clothes, then peels away her skin to reveal her shimmering, complicated heart.” - Gayle Brandeis, author of The Book of Dead Birds

“This debut from award-winning poet Carter is an unexpected gift. . . . The author infuses her period piece with shades of post-punk cynicism and the caustic, abandon-all-hope vibe of the grunge years while drawing characters who fit well into the book’s gritty ambiance . . . a fable for those who remember the bad old days.” - Kirkus Reviews

“This debut from award-winning poet Carter is an unexpected gift. . . . a fable for those who remember the bad old days.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Lovely, taut and lyrical—Further Out Than You Thought pulls back the curtain on a misunderstood life, showing that true nakedness is not found under strip club lights but in the reveal of a heart. This is a wonderful book.” - Rene Denfeld, author of The Enchanted

“Sexy, sleek and fearless, this debut simmers with vivid language and vulnerability, and is enthralling to the end. I loved it. I mean really loved it.” - Jimmy Santiago Baca, award-winning poet and author of A Glass of Water

“Striking . . . Carter’s lyrical writing and cast of characters resonate with the backdrop of a city in flames.” - Publishers Weekly