As Far as You'll Take Me - Phil Stamper Page 0,92

continued well into college, where I studied music and joined every ensemble I could find. As Far as You’ll Take Me is, in every way, a love letter to music and the sense of family you get when you fall into the right ensemble—in music, or in life.

Unsurprisingly, it’s also my love letter to London. Not long ago, I went to graduate school in the UK and saw firsthand just how overwhelming and wonderful an international move can be. My husband and I traveled some while we were there—to Florence, Cardiff, and a few other cities that might seem familiar after finishing this book. I wanted to give voice to that rural American teen who dreams of traveling the world and also capture the joy, wonder, and, yes, anxiety that travel brings. Giving these experiences to Marty was one of my favorite parts of writing this book.

Marty’s story may be fiction, but it’s underscored by the real lived experiences of queer teens, including my own. In The Gravity of Us, I showed an aspirational world where two boys could fall in love without any blatant homophobia or issues with identity holding them back. In this book, things don’t go quite as smoothly. But between the family Marty was born into and the family he finds along the way, he knows he’ll be okay.

Like Marty, I struggled with anxiety and disordered eating while trying to find my place in the world. As a queer teen, I was always looking for love and acceptance, and when I couldn’t find it, I thought it was easier to change myself than to change the world around me. I always discuss mental health in my books, in part to destigmatize conversations about it, but also to show queer teens who share these experiences that they’re not alone, and that the fight to survive and thrive is so worth it.

If you’re struggling with disordered eating, call or text the National Eating Disorders Association’s helpline at (800) 931-2237. If you’re a young LGBTQ person in crisis, don’t hesitate to call TrevorLifeline at (866) 488-7386. These resources, and many more, are just a call away whenever you need them.

As always, it’s an honor to be able to write the books I’d have needed most as a teen. Thank you for reading.

Until next time,

Phil

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are so many people who helped bring this story to life, from my friends who taught me what “found family” really meant when I needed it the most, to my publishing team and industry friends who gave me the courage to tell this incredibly personal story to readers across the world. Some special thank-yous are in order:

To my agent, Brent Taylor, who is the most fabulous, joyful, kind, and wise (not to mention the hardest-working) person in this entire industry, and to my editor, Mary Kate Castellani, for having such a clear vision for each of my projects, and for always finding a way to bring out the joy in every scene I write.

To my publishing team in the US, including Claire Stetzer, Lily Yengle, Phoebe Dyer, and Ksenia Winnicki, for everything you do to help get my books in the hands of more readers. To Diane Aronson, Erica Barmash, Jeff Curry, Beth Eller, Alona Fryman, Melissa Kavonic, Cindy Loh, Donna Mark, Jasmine Miranda, Daniel O’Connor, Valentina Rice, Teresa Sarmiento, Chris Venkatesh, and Katharine Wiencke for putting in a ton of work behind the scenes to make this book a success. Extra-special thanks to illustrator Jeff Östberg and designer Danielle Ceccolini for their work creating this beautiful cover.

To my international team—Hannah Sandford, Ian Lamb, Mattea Barnes, and Tobias Madden, to name a few—for getting my books in the hands of readers all over the world, and to Patrick Leger for illustrating the UK cover.

To Anna Priemaza and Chelsea Sedoti, who read the earliest draft of this book back in 2015 and were among the first to fall in love with Marty. It’s been a long journey, but I’m so glad you were there along the way to give me confidence in this story. And a sincere thanks to all my writing friends for their overwhelming support of me and this book.

To the Pride of Dayton Marching Band and my UD music family for accepting me for exactly who I was when I needed it the most, especially Kiersten M., Greg M., Lauren P., Laura M., Adam N., Sarah N., Brian D., Danielle D., Courtney B., Peter H., Brooke L., Jen B., Christine W., Hollie R., Andrew R., Bill R., Hannah B., Alex B., Mandi A., Megan M., and Lauren H. And to the rest of my found family—from Dayton, to DC, to London, and finally NYC—for helping me build my many homes away from home.

To the Stampers and Lambs, the families I was born into, for showing up for me constantly and surrounding me with love my whole life. To Mom and Dad for your overwhelming support and love, and for your constant commitment to spoiling your only child over the last thirty-two years. To the Steins for welcoming me into their family over the last decade. I love you all so much!

And finally, to Jonathan. Thank you for always being there for me in a way no one else ever could. You’re my biggest cheerleader, my happily ever after, and none of this would be possible without you. Thank you for showing me a true love story.

BLOOMSBURY YA

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First published in the United States of America in February 2021 by Bloomsbury YA

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Stamper, Phil, author.

Title: As far as you’ll take me / by Phil Stamper.

Other titles: As far as you will take me

Description: New York : Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2021.

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Marty Pierce leaves small-town Kentucky for London, hoping to explore his sexuality and find work playing oboe, but homesickness, anxiety, and his dwindling savings worsen even as his dreams are coming true.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020034586 (print) | LCCN 2020034587 (e-book)

ISBN 978-1-5476-0017-5 (hardcover) • ISBN 978-1-5476-0018-2 (e-book)

Classification: LCC PZ7.1.S7316 As 2021 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.S7316 (e-book) | DDC [Fic]—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020034586

LC e-book record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020034587

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As Far as You'll Take Me - Phil Stamper Page 0,92

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