Michigan Dad Champions Daughter's Queer Debut Novel
Unwavering family acceptance helped Erica Peplin pursue her dream of writing an unapologetically queer novel
The email from Larry Peplin landed in Pride Source's inbox with fatherly pride. His queer daughter Erica had just published her debut novel, "Work Nights,” and he wanted to make sure it was on our radar. What made the message remarkable wasn't the announcement itself, but what it represented about the kind of family support that empowers queer artists to flourish.
Larry and Erica’s relationship offers more than just a proud parent moment — it provides a window into a dynamic we don’t hear enough about: the ongoing bond between supportive parents and their adult LGBTQ+ children. These bonds continue to matter deeply, creating the kind of foundation that enables people to pursue their most authentic paths.
Erica's journey from a Grosse Pointe childhood to published novelist exemplifies this dynamic perfectly. Born in Grosse Pointe to parents who work in Detroit's cultural scene — her mother as a registrar at the Detroit Institute of Arts and her father as a freelance photographer — Erica grew up surrounded by creativity and acceptance.
Though she has since moved to Brooklyn, Michigan remains foundational. "I grew up thinking Michigan was the world,” Erica recalled. “And I remember learning about Michigan history in fourth grade and thinking that every fourth grader in America learned Michigan history because Michigan was so important. It was just the center of my world for so many years.”
Despite that deep connection, she knew she needed to venture beyond her home state. "I did not want to go to school in Michigan when I turned 18 because I wanted to get away from home, which I think is good for kids," she explained. After college, she made an even bigger move. "I moved to New York City with no job because I just wanted to live in New York City. It just felt like a big city where I could be anyone I wanted."
Erica’s independent spirit and self-determination didn't emerge overnight. From childhood, Larry said, she displayed confidence in knowing who she was and what she wanted. And throughout it all, her family supported her authentic self-expression, laying the groundwork for the openly queer adult she is today.
"We basically enjoyed letting her be whoever she wanted to be and never really giving a lot of weight or worry about gay, lesbian, queer, whatever," Larry recalled. "To me, anyway, it wasn't a concern. Whatever she was going to be, she was going to be."
That acceptance showed up in small but meaningful ways throughout Erica's childhood. When she refused to venture down the pink aisles at Toys R Us, preferring action figures to dolls, her parents simply followed her lead. When she wanted to borrow clothes from her older brother or later from her father, there was no judgment.
Erica's older brother was equally supportive. "He was so great cause he let me play with his ‘Star Wars’ toys and he let me wear his old clothes. When he grew out of his big t-shirts and his baggy shorts, I would always sneak into his room and just take them. And if he was annoyed, he didn't express it," she said.
"I can't recall Erica ever actually literally coming out on a given day," Larry said. "It's something we sort of just knew by osmosis."
This foundation of acceptance gave Erica the confidence to take significant risks in pursuit of her dreams. In New York, she landed positions in sales at CNN and The New York Times, but feeling less than fulfilled by age 26, she made what she calls "a momentous decision" to quit her stable office job to pursue writing full-time.
"It blew my mind because she had all these great benefits. She was making a nice salary," Larry admitted. "To me, as a former journalist, that's the epitome, to work for The New York Times in any kind of a role. So for her to quit, I sort of struggled with that in my own head."
But Larry's support never wavered, even during the five years it took Erica to complete her novel while working part-time jobs to make ends meet. "She's an adult making adult decisions and I respect that," he said.
"I had some penny-pinching years there where I wasn't making much money, but I was living in a cheap apartment really far out in Brooklyn," Erica said. Living a more frugal lifestyle gave her the freedom to dedicate herself to writing her novel.
That novel, "Work Nights," published by Simon & Schuster in June, is an unapologetically queer story set in New York City. The book follows Jane Grabowski, a young woman navigating office life while caught between two romantic interests — an intern named Madeline and a musician named Addy.
"It's not about queer people having a hard time in life because they're queer. It's about queer people having a hard time in life because life is hard," Erica explained. "I want to write about bold queer people. I want to write about evil queer people. I want to write about bad, misbehaving queer people because I think that's part of life."
The novel draws from Erica's own experiences, including her family dynamics. Her father appears in the book as a "retired photographer" who is "so easygoing and laidback."
"I did write basically my dad's personality word for word," Erica said. "He's a great character. But it was nerve-wracking to then give the book to my dad because it's like, 'Dad, you inspired this fiction. You're going to recognize this character. I hope you like it.'"
Larry's reaction was characteristically supportive, though he admitted the genre was outside his usual reading preferences. "Erica's book is not the kind of reading that I normally do. I'm a nonfiction reader," he said. "But I found it to be pretty cool because you sort of see your own daughter in this story."
He particularly enjoyed seeing his family's quirks immortalized in fiction. "We all had a lot of fun as a family seeing her version of ourselves in the story where she makes fun of my holiday all-appetizer dinners where I didn't cook an entree, just all kinds of different appetizers — I get a kick out of that," Larry said. "It's just fun to see yourself in a real book written by your own daughter."
These days, Larry is channeling his support into helping promote "Work Nights," setting up media interviews and mobilizing their Grosse Pointe community. A recent Facebook post about the novel garnered more than 220 responses.
For Erica, this support has been crucial not just for her career, but for her well-being. While she now works four days a week at a restaurant and makes less money than during her corporate days, she says she feels more fulfilled than she ever was before.
"I felt like I was suffering more privately then because I had so many things on the surface that I thought I should want — a salary, health benefits, a full-time job," she said. "But it was wearing on my soul because I had this other calling."
"I'm so much happier. I'm fulfilled from the moment I wake up in the morning," she added.
"I never really questioned her decisions," Larry said, beaming with fatherly pride. "She’s been bold all through her life, taking chances, taking risks."
The life of a published novelist can be notoriously stressful, but Erica has found something many writers struggle to achieve.
"I feel at peace,” she said, “because I'm doing what I want and my family does support me.”
"Work Nights" is available at bookstores and online. Erica and Larry will celebrate the Michigan release of the book at 6:30 p.m. on July 10 at Next Chapter Bookstore (16555 E. Warren Ave., Detroit) — Larry wants everyone to know there will be donuts!
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