A five-word process leads to three novels
Gabriel Bump finds excitement, challenges and possibilities in novel writing and inspiration from students.
Asked to describe his research in five words, Gabirel Bump lays out the repeatable process that has helped him write three novels.
“Write, edit, delete, write, walk,” said Bump, an assistant professor in the English and comparative literature department in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Bump’s first novel, “Everywhere You Don’t Belong,” is a coming-of-age story about growing up on the South Side of Chicago and has won multiple awards, including the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.
Bump, who’s currently working on two more novels, described his work as a hard but fun endeavor. As a fiction writer, he’s excited by the possibilities that exist and the power he has in crafting them. He finds inspiration through his interactions with his students and their work.
“These young people — wow,” Bump said. “The future of art is in good hands.”
Learn more about Bump, his work and his path to becoming an author.
