By Steve Esser
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Jen Julian was always drawn to her creative outlet – whether drawing or writing. Even as a young child, she would create picture books inspired by her imagination.
So, it should come as no surprise, the Associate Professor of Creative Writing is publishing her novel, Red Rabbit Ghost, this month. The novel will be available July 22.
The story follows an impulsive young man who must “confront his small town’s dark secrets” as he returns home to solve the mystery of his mother, whose unexplained death left him abandoned as an infant.
Reviewers describe the novel as an “atmospheric and haunting debut horror from brilliant new voice Jen Julian.”
Julian came to Young Harris College in 2019 with a bachelor’s in English from the College of Charleston, an MFA in Fiction from UNC Greensboro, and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She is part of the Literature and Languages Department at the College.
“I didn’t set out to write a horror novel when I first began this in 2017. I definitely didn’t approach it like I knew exactly what it was going to be,” Julian said. “There were many strange and scary components that evolved as I worked on it. I’m drawn to mysterious things – science fiction, magic. The belief that there’s something else out there.”
Julian previously wrote a short story collection, Earthly Delights and Other Apocalypses, which won Press 53’s Fiction Prize when it was published in Fall 2018. She also has stories and essays that have appeared in numerous publications, including SmokeLong Quarterly, Greensboro Review, and Chattahoochee Review.
“It’s all about making time to write,” Julian said. “To be successful at this, you have to carve out the time for it. In this case, I just developed a story where the characters felt very strongly about this place, this town. I went where the story pulled me, and it just played out from there.”
Her work has been described as exploring the aesthetic and political potential of surreal, magical, and gothic genres.
“Growing up in eastern North Carolina, I was kind of a lonely kid, kind of solitary, and that’s influenced my writing in a big way,” Julian said. “I read everything I could get my hands on throughout middle and high school. Fiction was fundamental to the way I understood the world.”
Julian teaches creative writing and other classes at Young Harris College, as well as directing the College’s Undergraduate Research Program. When not teaching or writing, she enjoys illustrating, practicing yoga, growing vegetables, and tending to the whims of her “enormous ginger cat.”
“Red Rabbit Ghost” is available from retailers like Amazon, or Barnes & Noble among other outlets.
And what’s next for Julian?
“Oh, I have another completed draft in the works,” Julian says with a smile. “It’s being edited now, but I’m not giving anything away on that. You’ll have to wait until it comes out.”
Meanwhile, Julian will host a reading from Red Rabbit Ghost, with a question-and-answer session, on July 23 at 5:45 p.m. at the Narrative Bookstore in Unit C on Tennessee Street in Murphy, NC.
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private baccalaureate and master’s degree-granting institution located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires, and empowers students through an education that purposefully integrates the liberal arts and professional studies. The College has four academic divisions: Fine Arts; Humanities; Mathematics, Science, and Technology; and Professional Studies. Approximately 1,400 students are enrolled in its residential and Early College programs. The College is an active member of the NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the Conference Carolinas. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
