Something Close to Nothing
First comes surrogacy, then comes the messy gay breakup in Tom Pyun’s tragi-comic debut novel that asks, is it ever too late to finally face yourself and grow up?

Winston Kang and Jared Cahill seem like the perfect couple. When they check-in for their flight to Cambodia, where they’re headed to meet the surrogate carrying their baby girl, even the woman at the airline counter recognizes it: “I’m so happy that marriage is legal for you guys,” she says.

But while Jared is already planning for their second kid—half white like him, half Korean like Wynn—Wynn isn't ready to give up his dreams of becoming a hip-hop dancer to become "the hostage of a crying, pooping terrorist." So he does what anyone in his position would do: He leaves Jared at the airport.

Wynn sets off on a journey around the globe, trying to figure out what it means to put himself first, from auditioning for Misty Espinoza’s comeback tour to organizing a Prince-themed flash mob. Oceans away, Jared starts to panic that no one in his life can talk to Meryl about her period or what it’s like to grow up Asian American.

Told in alternating points of view, Pyun’s sardonic and addictive page-turner confronts questions of race, identity, and privilege, and facing the question of whether it’s ever too late to finally face yourself and grow up.

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Something Close to Nothing
First comes surrogacy, then comes the messy gay breakup in Tom Pyun’s tragi-comic debut novel that asks, is it ever too late to finally face yourself and grow up?

Winston Kang and Jared Cahill seem like the perfect couple. When they check-in for their flight to Cambodia, where they’re headed to meet the surrogate carrying their baby girl, even the woman at the airline counter recognizes it: “I’m so happy that marriage is legal for you guys,” she says.

But while Jared is already planning for their second kid—half white like him, half Korean like Wynn—Wynn isn't ready to give up his dreams of becoming a hip-hop dancer to become "the hostage of a crying, pooping terrorist." So he does what anyone in his position would do: He leaves Jared at the airport.

Wynn sets off on a journey around the globe, trying to figure out what it means to put himself first, from auditioning for Misty Espinoza’s comeback tour to organizing a Prince-themed flash mob. Oceans away, Jared starts to panic that no one in his life can talk to Meryl about her period or what it’s like to grow up Asian American.

Told in alternating points of view, Pyun’s sardonic and addictive page-turner confronts questions of race, identity, and privilege, and facing the question of whether it’s ever too late to finally face yourself and grow up.

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Something Close to Nothing

Something Close to Nothing

by Tom Pyun
Something Close to Nothing
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Something Close to Nothing

Something Close to Nothing

by Tom Pyun

Overview

First comes surrogacy, then comes the messy gay breakup in Tom Pyun’s tragi-comic debut novel that asks, is it ever too late to finally face yourself and grow up?

Winston Kang and Jared Cahill seem like the perfect couple. When they check-in for their flight to Cambodia, where they’re headed to meet the surrogate carrying their baby girl, even the woman at the airline counter recognizes it: “I’m so happy that marriage is legal for you guys,” she says.

But while Jared is already planning for their second kid—half white like him, half Korean like Wynn—Wynn isn't ready to give up his dreams of becoming a hip-hop dancer to become "the hostage of a crying, pooping terrorist." So he does what anyone in his position would do: He leaves Jared at the airport.

Wynn sets off on a journey around the globe, trying to figure out what it means to put himself first, from auditioning for Misty Espinoza’s comeback tour to organizing a Prince-themed flash mob. Oceans away, Jared starts to panic that no one in his life can talk to Meryl about her period or what it’s like to grow up Asian American.

Told in alternating points of view, Pyun’s sardonic and addictive page-turner confronts questions of race, identity, and privilege, and facing the question of whether it’s ever too late to finally face yourself and grow up.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781612942995
Publisher: Bywater Books MI
Publication date: 11/12/2024
Pages: 250
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Tom Pyun earned his MFA at Antioch UniversityLos Angeles and has been awarded fellowships by the Vermont Studio Center, VONA, and Tin House. His creative fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The Rumpus, Reed Magazine, Joyland, and Blue Mesa Review. His essay, “Mothers Always Know,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net 2015.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“A bold, outrageous, and often hilarious exploration of growing up while facing the ever-changing nature of queer identity and what it takes to feel alive.” —Steven Rowley, Thurber Prize-winning author of The Guncle

“Tom Pyun's Something Close to Nothing is a bold proposition. At a time when the pull toward family and normalcy (and thinking those two are one and the same) is stronger than ever, Pyun's novel wades instead into thornier (and much richer) territory to paint a portrait of contemporary gay male life that refuses neat narratives and tidier still endings. Written with wounding candor and biting humor, Something Close to Nothing is a nail-biter of a ride about what it means to break yourself apart to build out who you always thought you could be—for better and for worse.” —Manuel Betancourt, author of The Male Gazed

“This is a mesmerizing debut novel. Something Close to Nothing is a candid, funny, and shocking dissection of the relationship between one of those gay couples who look perfect in their social media posts. Tom Pyun is writing about contemporary queer life with an honesty and depth that is astounding and welcomed. He has a talent for hitting us with gut punches that turn into belly laughs.” —Rasheed Newson, author of My Government Means to Kill Me

“The story is delightfully unpredictable, sophisticated about the complexities of race and class, and a thoroughly entertaining read. Pyun is a gifted writer with a flair for balancing pathos and humor. His characters are flawed in interesting ways that simultaneously engender anger and the urge to root for them. It's a fantastic debut.” —Toni Ann Johnson, author of Light Skin Gone to Waste and winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction.

“Cringe, laugh, repeat: Tom Pyun has written a hilarious satire of a late-capitalist couple trying to have it all while resolutely never learning a damned thing about themselves. Infuriating, selfish, and totally lovable, Wynn and Jared trot around the globe in search of love while worrying if their crushes violate semiotics, and if their dancing is a form of cultural theft, all the while trying to convince themselves they aren't so terrible (while often being so terrible). I saw myself in there more than I'd like to admit—what a wonderful ride!” —Glen David Gold, author of Carter Beats the Dev

“Something Close to Nothing is a journey of love and loss and ultimately choosing what you love to do over what is expected. In that way, it is a book about courage and determination. Wonderful writing, sensual and humorous, I couldn’t put it down!” — Louise Nayer, author of Burned, A Memoir and Narrow Escapes

“An engaging, globetrotting debut that captures the many highs and lows of creating the family of one’s dreams. Full of warmth, insight, and attention to complicated truths.” —Jung Yun, author of Shelter and O Beautiful

“Something Close to Nothing is outrageous, exhilarating, funny, upsetting, and open-hearted—I cried, I laughed, I cringed, I gasped. Tom Pyun writes with pitch-perfect wit and insight, upending the very contemporary pressures on young gay male couples to settle down and raise kids. As his yearning young heroes travel the globe searching for happiness and meaning, the reader rides an emotional roller coaster with them. This is a book you’re going to want to pass on to a friend so you can have someone to dish with when you’re done.” —K.M. Soehnlein, author of The World of Normal Boys and Army of Lovers

“Written with a contagious, full-throttle energy that hooked me from the first page, Something Close to Nothing is a fresh and spirited debut. Spanning decades and continents, this tale is equal parts intimate and comic, deftly shifting between character perspectives to insightfully unpack the buildup and breakdown of the love between two men in gripping detail. Tom Pyun infuses each twist and turn with wit and wisdom.” —Genevieve Hudson, author of Boys of Alabama and Pretend We Live Here

“Get ready for the drama and the humor, the sexiness and the sadness, some bad choices as well as some moments of kindness. Tom Pyun has created characters we come to care for despite their foibles and follies. Something Close To Nothing is a rich tapestry of family: how we make it and break it and re-create it.” —Tomas Moniz, author of All Friends Are Necessary

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