
 
		Queens native’s new novel takes readers on  
 journey through Forest Park in the 1990s 
 2 Dinners & 1 Bottle of Wine  
  
 Choice of: Barefoot Merlot, Santa Marina Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay 
 TIMESLEDGER   |   QNS.18     COM   |   APRIL 10-APRIL 16, 2020 
 BY BENJAMIN MANDILE 
 “Iphigenia  Murphy,”  a  
 novel  set  in  1990s  Forest  
 Park,  is  a  coming-of-age  adventure  
 story  is  drawn  from  
 observations  by  the  author  
 Sara  Hosey,  who  grew  up  in  
 Queens  during  the  time  period. 
   
 The  novel,  released  by  
 Blackstone  Publishing  earlier  
 this month, focuses on one  
 girl’s journey to find her longlost  
 mother  after  fleeing  an  
 abusive  home  environment,  
 according to Hosey. The story  
 is  not  autobiographical,  but  
 rather is inspired by what she  
 observed  from  other  young  
 women struggling in the last  
 decade of the 20th century.  
 The  road  to  publishing  
 also  had  its  own  ups  and  
 downs.  Her  initial  publisher,  
 Animal Mineral Press (AMP),  
 ran  out  of  funding,  but  was  
 able  to  secure  her  a  position  
 with  Blackstone  Publishing. 
   Hosey  said  that  before  
 AMP  picked  her  manuscript  
 up, she had shopped it around  
 but  found  difficulty  in  finding  
 someone to take it.  
 She said that authors who  
 want  to  get  published  should  
 make  sure  their  manuscripts  
 are in the  “best” possible  
 shape before shopping it  
 around  and  that  the  route  to  
 publishing is circuitous. 
 Her  debut  novel  is  a  first  
 attempt at fiction, but is her  
 third book.  
 Hosey  teaches  full-time  at  
 Nassau  Community  College  
 as  an  associate  professor  of  
 English and women and gender  
 studies.  
 While she finds it difficult  
 to  juggle  her  obligations  at  
 times, she says that as a professor  
 people  have  access  to  
 intellectual  communities  for  
 discussions and also access to  
 understanding  issues  younger  
 generations  are  pressed  
 with.  
 Her  speaking  engagement  
 at  the  college  was  postponed  
 due  to  the  current  COVID- 
 19  pandemic.  She  also  had  
 readings  scheduled  at  local  
 bookstores  including  Kew  &  
 Willow and Astoria Bookshop  
 which have been cancelled.  
 The  book  is  available  on  
 Amazon  and  other  book  retailers, 
   but  Hosey  suggested  
 people  buy  her  book  from  
 local  bookstores  to  support  
 small businesses.  
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