About DAVID

Thanks so much for checking out my website! I currently live in Chicago, where my novels Gaybash and Summerdale take place. Feel free to contact me via email at david@davidjaycollins.com.

Check out my recent media on the Frigay The 13th and  #AlwaysAndersonville podcasts, Instinct Magazine, and Northwestern University's Counseling Blog. 

As an author and artist, this is what's most important to me:

• Sharing hope through my writing
• Sharing joy through my artwork 
• Living openly and honestly
• Honoring family and friends 
• Welcoming new readers 

On that last point, for many readers, the subject matter in Gaybash reopens painful memories of their own bullying and physical abuse. In confidence, many readers have told me of their lingering feelings of guilt, sorrow, and inadequacy from the abuse they endured while growing up.

I truly hope that through Matt's journey, readers can begin to release these negative feelings. At readings, at events, through email and Facebook messages, always feel free to share your own reactions. At our best, artists can foster understanding, challenge inequality, and heal pain.