Tim Murphy has been a journalist for the past 25 years and is the author of the novels Correspondents and Christodora. His newest novel is called Speech Team.
The novel has been described as "Breakfast Club meets The Big Chill" and it tells the story of a group of middle-aged Gen Xers who are drawn back together when one of their former classmates dies by suicide. A note on his social media page cites a cruel comment made by his high school speech team coach — something he never forgot.
The friends reunite over this death and realize they each have a similar story. In a recent What We're Reading interview, Murphy revealed how he based this aspect of the story on his own experience in high school. He said he was stunned when a teacher he respected admonished him for acting like a "flaming homosexual" and told him to "get it under control."
The rest of the novel is more speculative. The group of friends, now in their 40s, travel across the country to confront the teacher. Murphy wanted to imagine what it would be like to face this teacher and ask, "Do you know that I've never forgotten that?"
In recent years I really loved fiction that I find very readable, and juicy, but smart. And about real things.Tim Murphy, author
With Speech Team, Murphy wanted to write a lighter book than his previous ones, which dealt with topics like AIDS, race and politics.
"In recent years, I really loved fiction that I find very readable and juicy, but smart. And about real things," he said.
Murphy credits the film The Breakfast Club as inspiration for Speech Team as well, especially how it addressed themes in the '80s that weren't being discussed elsewhere.
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