This interview originally appeared in the July/August 2024 Horn Book Magazine as part of the Publishers’ Previews: Debut Authors, an advertising supplement that allows participating publishers a chance to each highlight a book from its current list. They choose the books; we ask the questions.

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As the seriocomic graphic novel How It All Ends begins, Tara finds herself promoted from seventh grade to ninth. It’s more difficult than you might think.

1. What do you miss from eighth grade, even a tiny thing?

Eighth grade was so painful, but my science teacher was amazing. He had a ­boisterous style of teaching that made the subject exciting. The moment I remember most clearly is when he announced his wife was pregnant by flexing and shouting, “I AM THE SPERMINATOR!” We were learning about Punnett squares, so it wasn’t completely inappropriate…

2. Who was your “Hannah McCoy,” the performer you loved but were peer-pressured to disavow?

Russell Crowe as Javert in the 2012 Les Misérables movie.

3. What would people learn about you due to the state of your bedroom?

My bedroom would tell people that I’m a very neat adult woman with fantastic taste in art. The state of my studio, however, would tell people that I’m not actually a neat adult woman but rather a small tornado that loves to read comics.

4. Tara, dreaming that she might burst into a hundred thousand Australian pear moths, has a vivid imagination. How does hers differ from your own?

I have twenty more years of life experience, so my imaginings are more grounded in reality. At thirteen, I worried about things like, What if someone rigged a bunch of ­explosives to the handle on this toilet and when I flush, the house explodes all around me, and I’ll be standing in the smoldering remains of a house with my pants down? Now I worry about things like, What if the host of this party forgot to tell me that the float in this toilet doesn’t stop the fill valve and when I flush, the water won’t stop filling, and I accidentally flood their house, causing thousands of dollars of damage?

5. What is your top tip for making oneself feel comfortable in a new situation?

I try to name everything I’m feeling and what’s making me feel that way. This usually helps me put it in perspective, which takes some pressure off. It also helps me bank any strong feelings so that I can write about them later, and helps me relate better to other people who’ve had those feelings.

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