Hobart and William Smith graduate Aaron Tillman will release a new literary mystery, “Lucy Miles’ Photogenic Mind,” in November, bringing together a teenage friendship, a disappearance and elements of magical realism.
The novel, published by Regal House Publishing, is available for preorder, according to an HWS announcement. Tillman graduated in 1995 and now serves as associate director of the writing program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The story follows 15-year-old Pinky Green, who has long felt destined for ridicule, and his friendship with the artistic and secretive Lucy Miles. Their relationship draws him into a mystery involving Lucy’s estranged mother and emotionally abusive father.
After Lucy’s mother washes up on Calamity Beach and her father is found dead the following day, Lucy disappears under suspicion. Pinky sets out to find her with help from two adults whose lives connect them to her.
They are Gilda Montgomery, the sharp-tongued owner of Cockaroost Concessions, and Walter Walsh, Lucy’s godfather. Walsh is a recently suspended Boston police officer described in the book’s synopsis as burly and melancholic.
Their search follows mysteries both magical and mortal. The novel explores loyalty, friendship, memory, secrecy and betrayal as the characters uncover dangerous secrets.
Author Mandy McHugh praised the way Tillman combines humor and insight with mystery and magic. Author Janice Eidus highlighted his blending of genres and exploration of the relationships and tensions at the center of the story.
Tillman’s earlier books include the short story collections “Consolation Miracles” and “Every Single Bone in My Brain,” as well as the nonfiction book “Magical American Jew.” He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has received the Gival Press Short Story Award, the John Gardner Memorial Prize and the Glimmer Train Award.
At HWS, Tillman majored in English and studied abroad in Quito, Ecuador, and Hanoi, Vietnam. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College and a doctorate from the University of Rhode Island.
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