Benny Peterson’s 11 Literary Inspirations for Queer Punk Novel ‘The Maidenheads’

Benny Peterson’s new novel ‘The Maidenheads,’ published by Penguin Random House, draws on 11 books that shaped its queer, punk-infused narrative set in early-2000s D.C. Peterson cites Blake Nelson’s ‘Girl’ (1994) for its raw depiction of a suburban teen entering Portland’s punk scene; Brock Cole’s ‘Celine’ (1989) for its serious portrayal of an artist; and Carrie Brownstein’s memoir ‘Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl’ for insights into playing music with an ex. James Frankie Thomas’s ‘Idlewild’ helped Peterson convey gender dysphoria and nonbinary identity without explicit language, set in 2012. Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins’s ‘Dance of Days’ provided historical context on D.C. punk from the 1980s–1990s, including Fugazi and Riot Grrrl. Edward P. Jones’s ‘Lost in the City’ and ‘All Aunt Hagar’s Children’ inspired geographical precision in setting. Andrea Lawlor’s ‘Paul Takes the Form of a Modern Girl’ influenced gender fluidity and language. Elizabeth Taylor’s ‘A Game of Hide and Seek’ (1951) informed the wry tone around dark themes. Raven Leilani’s ‘Luster’ offered a model for a frustrating first-person narrator. Torrey Peters’s ‘Detransition, Baby’ guided the open, capacious ending. Peterson also transitioned during writing and revised the main character Jamie’s gender to be more central.