Mason Alum Releases First Novel

Broadside Correspondent Alyssa Ross.

This month, John Michael Cummings, a George Mason University alumnus, will have his debut novel published. The novel, "The Night I Freed John Brown," was expanded from an earlier novella, "The House of My Father." The book is a transitional narrative, chronicling some of the many obstacles that arise from childhood into adolescence. This young-adult novel is set in Cummings’ hometown of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The protagonist of the story is a 13-year-old boy named Josh Connors who learns to cope with matters beyond his age. Family dynamics, such as the boy’s relationship with his father, Bill Connors, play an interesting role in the novel. Josh constantly conflicts with his abrasive, controlling father who appears to resent the Harpers Ferry tourist trap for ambiguous reasons. The father’s unattributed hatred for Harpers Ferry plays out within the climax of the story. Bill Connors is averse to forming an emotional bond with his sons, initially making him an unlikable character.

Josh’s perspective gives the reader a light-hearted insider’s look into Harpers Ferry. I would recommend this book to young readers for its innocently-amusing content. The book appeals to a younger reader through elements of mystery and history. The beginning of the book is gripping with its ghost-like components. The book starts with Josh and his friend Luke, who are visiting the creepy, abandoned old house that Bill Connors grew up in. The misadventures of the main character, such as the search for the cowmint, are another factor that will prove entertaining for young readers. The history of the abolitionist John Brown, a local Harpers Ferry hero, and his 1859 slave revolt is an intrinsic part of the story that proves complimentary to many of the other themes within the book. The beginning moves slower in order to set up characterization and setting; but the last 70 pages or so are fast paced and probably the best part of the book. So even if you aren’t thrilled at the beginning, keep reading before you form a final opinion. The end of the novel that will give the young reader a sense of satisfaction and closure ties up loose ends.

I was lucky to receive an opportunity to discuss the book with the author, along with his experiences publishing his first novel. Although Cummings graduated from Mason with a BA in fine arts, he recalls fond experiences in a poetry class, which sparked his wonder-lust for language. His late professor, Mark Craver, proved to be an inspiration influence.

“[Craver] said to me at the end of the course, ‘You will write, John. I don’t know what, but you will,” Cummings said. After becoming disillusioned as a graphic designer, Cummings started his career as a writer at the Reston Times where he accepted less pay in order to pursue his dream. He credits some of his early influence for his short stories from reading the works of John Updike. Although he had success in the short-story genre, he encountered difficulties when he decided to cross over into writing novels. “Young adult novels don’t have as much experimental freedom as the short story genre,” Cummings said. Cummings is currently working on his first novel written for adults, using the skill set that he developed through writing "The Night I Freed John Brown."