Author Robbie Couch Opens Up About His New Book "Bloom," That Deals With Grief And Dying Plants

"I like the idea of having this more lighthearted way as an entry point to a more serious topic. So that was the original idea that landed in my ideas document that developed into the story for Bloom."

"I do think that older LGBTQ people are not represented as much as they probably should be in our stories, and oftentimes, they're depicted in ways that can be overly stereotypical or sort of caricatured."

"The protagonist's struggle with a death and having that grief sort of manifest in their not being able to kind of keep up with housework and the normal routine of stuff."

The narrative focuses on an older gay man, a character rarely seen in gay novels. The initial concept involved a comedic approach to mental health through houseplants. The protagonist's struggle with grief manifests in neglecting his plants, symbolizing deeper emotional issues. The author aims to address the lack of representation for older LGBTQ individuals, who are often portrayed in stereotypical ways. The story combines the original idea with the experiences of the main character, Morris, to create a more nuanced perspective.

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