M.W. Brooke (Adult Literary)
Author: M.W. Brooke (@cosmic_owl)
Age Range: Adult
Genre: Literary
Agent: Ronald Gerber, Lowenstein Associates
The Query Letter:
Dear [Agent Name],
Noah Katz charmed his way into offbeat rock band Wax Engine Parade for the good tunes and comradery of fellow artists and weirdos. With a bass guitar, banjo, and hand-made theremin tethered to the souls of his grandparents, Noah settles into his role with ease. When the band's 1999 sophomore album gathers unexpected steam, Noah leaps at the opportunity to cram into a derelict van with his bandmates and perform across the country for growing crowds.
Giddy with adrenaline after each gig, Noah stays up late with Eli, the band's founder and beating heart. No longer able to cloister himself in his room and scribble down lyrics or pick the shards of glass sprouting from his head, Eli shares his inner world with Noah. Childhood trauma, failed relationships, mushroom trips gone bad: Noah gets a glimpse of the man behind the music. Rapt by Eli's every word, Noah's focus drifts from his basslines to the curve of Eli's jawline, and to Eli's fingers against the neck of his guitar.
But as the heat of impending fame intensifies, Eli wilts under the pressure. Bouts of depression and anxiety threaten his ability to perform at shows. The glass in his head spreads, tormenting his waking life. When Noah assumes the role of Eli's primary support on the road, their friendship swerves toward unexpected intimacy. Wrestling with his desires and wary of Eli's crumbling mental state, Noah must navigate the rest of the tour with care to keep the band he loves—and the man he loves even more—afloat.
Complete at 100,000 words, WAX ENGINE PARADE is a near-historical literary novel that combines the magical realism, queerness, and lyrical writing style of Genevieve Hudson's Boys of Alabama with the complex band dynamics of Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & the Six.
I have a B.A. from Northern Arizona University in English with a creative writing and literature emphasis. As a neurodiverse, bisexual woman, I am invested in crafting narratives that destigmatize mental illness and feature queer characters and their experiences. I currently reside in Portland, Oregon with my partner, tortoiseshell cat, and a menagerie of musical instruments.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
M. W. Brooke
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