FAQ | Dale Thele

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Questions

Who is Dale Thele?

Dale Thele is a bestselling author based in Austin, Texas, known for his LGBTQ+ fiction. After decades of personal struggle with the trauma of the AIDS epidemic and receiving his own diagnosis in 2008, he channeled his experiences into a late-blooming career as a writer and activist.

Writing career and works

Genre: Thele writes LGBTQ+ fiction, often with a Southern or coming-of-age slant.
Bestselling novels: His notable works include the four-book Shane Davison Chronicles series, which follows a gay teenager as he comes of age in a heterosexual world. Other books include the Lost Creek Junction series and the collection of short stories, Naughty Gay Adult Bedtime Stories.
Influences: Thele has cited authors like Timothy James Beck, Michael Thomas Ford, and Bryan Healey as influences on his writing style.

Activism and personal story

Decades of loss: Thele has spoken publicly about living through the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and losing 35+ friends to the disease in just two years. For decades, he wrestled with survivor's guilt.
AIDS diagnosis: In 2008, he was diagnosed with AIDS, an event he says was a turning point that compelled him to start writing.
Finding his voice: After going public with his diagnosis, Thele became a prominent AIDS activist in Travis County, advocating for people living with HIV/AIDS to access healthcare and working to reduce stigma. He aims to be a "positive voice" for the HIV/AIDS community. View Thele's story.

Personal influences on writing

Life experience: Thele's extensive life experience, including growing up in a conservative Oklahoma oil town and his career in service and retail, informs his character development and adds depth to his writing.
Trauma and secrets: His writing, especially the semi-autobiographical Shane Davison Chronicles, explores themes of hidden secrets, trauma, and the process of coming to terms with a painful past.

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Did Thele face challenges as a late-blooming writer?

Yes, Dale Thele faced significant challenges as a late-blooming writer, with the primary obstacles being the profound personal trauma he experienced during the AIDS epidemic and an initial fear of writing under his own name. However, his unique life experiences, including his career in retail and services, provided him with a wealth of material and empathy that now serve as his greatest assets.

Trauma from the AIDS epidemic

Before beginning his writing career in 2008, Thele spent decades coping with the emotional devastation of losing numerous friends during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Survivor's guilt: For years, he was haunted by survivor's guilt, asking himself why he had been spared while so many others were lost. This period of grief and trauma cost him decades that could have been spent writing.
A defining moment: His own AIDS diagnosis in 2012 became a turning point. It forced him to confront his past and process his experiences, ultimately providing the motivation he needed to write. He realized he had a story to tell and a voice to give to others who had suffered in similar ways.

Overcoming personal fears

Thele's initial writing was done under an assumed name, a challenge that many late-blooming writers face, particularly when addressing sensitive or personal subjects.

Finding his authentic voice: After his diagnosis, Thele made the decision to go public with his status and began writing under his given name, fully embracing his identity as a person living with AIDS. This moment marked a major breakthrough in his ability to write freely and authentically.

Advantages of a late start

Thele's story also illustrates the unique advantages that can come with being an older, or "late-blooming," writer.

Emotional depth: His extensive life experiences, including his journey with HIV/AIDS, give his work a depth and emotional resonance that a younger writer may not possess.
Unique perspective: His experiences as a gay man growing up in a conservative Oklahoma town and his eventual move to Austin provide a unique and authentic perspective that enriches his Southern and LGBT fiction.
Realistic expectations: Older writers often have more realistic expectations for success, which allows them to focus on the joy of writing and craft rather than being crippled by pressure.
Focus on the craft: After retiring in 2018, Thele could write for the love of the craft, free from the pressure of making a living from his work.

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How did Thele's retail/service career impact his writing?

Thele's thirty-plus years of experience in the retail and service industries significantly impacted his writing, providing him with a deep understanding of human nature and interpersonal dynamics. Although he did not become a professional writer until later in life, his experience in these roles armed him with a trove of observed human behavior that is now reflected in his character-driven fiction.

An education in human psychology

Thele's work in retail and service provided him with a long, informal education in human psychology and motivation.

A "fly on the wall" perspective: In these careers, he was a witness to countless interactions, observing how people behaved under different circumstances. This "fly on the wall" perspective gave him insight into why people act the way they do, which is crucial for developing complex and believable characters.
Empathy for others: Through direct work with customers and clients, Thele developed a keen ability to listen and empathize with people from diverse backgrounds. This empathy is woven into his narrative voice, allowing him to create characters who feel authentic and relatable, even when they are flawed.

Understanding social and class dynamics

Working in retail and service exposed Thele to a wide cross-section of society, helping him understand social and class dynamics.

Diverse perspectives: His interactions with people from various backgrounds, including those in his hometown, likely informed the social intricacies and relationships in his work. This adds a layer of authenticity to his storytelling, which often features Southern and LGBT characters navigating a complex world.
Characters as a product of their environment: Thele's background allowed him to observe how economic and social status shape a person's life. This knowledge is reflected in his characters, who often feel like a product of their environment and history, not just fictional creations.

Authentic and relatable character portrayals

Thele's professional experience contributes to the realistic and believable nature of his character portrayals, which are a hallmark of his writing.

Nuanced characters: His characters, such as Shane Davison [Shane Davison Chronicles series], are not one-dimensional. They have complex inner lives, motivations, and secrets, which are a direct result of Thele's many years observing the intricacies of real people.
Realistic dialogue: Thele's retail and service background, which required constant communication, sharpened his ear for realistic and authentic dialogue. This makes his characters' conversations feel genuine and believable to the reader.

An anchor to reality

While Thele's fiction often explores deep emotional and traumatic experiences, his grounding in the service industry keeps his stories anchored in reality.

Stories with heart: His work avoids becoming purely sensational, instead focusing on the human element and personal stories at the heart of his narratives. This balance between drama and grounded human experience is a product of his real-world observations.

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Elaborate on Dale Thele's activism.

Dale Thele's activism is defined by his long and profound personal experience with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, both as a witness and as someone living with the virus. Following his own diagnosis in 2008, his grief and trauma were channeled into a public-facing role as an advocate for healthcare access and a positive voice for the HIV/AIDS community in Austin, Texas, and Travis County.

Advocacy for healthcare access

One of Thele's primary focuses is ensuring that others living with HIV/AIDS receive the necessary care and support.

Central Health Champion: He is a member of the Central Health Champions program, advocating for the services of the David Powell Clinic, which provides integrated care to people living with HIV/AIDS.
Connecting people to resources: His personal journey through the healthcare system, including receiving lifesaving treatment at the David Powell Clinic, drives his mission to help others connect to similar resources. He publicly directs people to resources for healthcare access and insurance coverage.

Raising awareness and fighting stigma

Using his personal story, Thele helps combat the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, particularly in the wake of the 1980s epidemic.

Public voice: By speaking openly about his experiences, including the fear and isolation he felt in the 1980s and after his own diagnosis, he puts a human face on the disease.
Normalizing the experience: His public advocacy helps to normalize living with HIV, making his story visible to a wider audience, including people like ride-share drivers who express surprise and positivity about the work being done at clinics like David Powell.

Community involvement

Thele's activism extends to broader community involvement through various organizations.

HIV Planning Council: He has served as a council member for the Austin-area Comprehensive HIV Planning Council, which oversees local area Ryan White grant activities.
Supporting fundraising efforts: He has supported various community events, including the annual Hill Country Ride for AIDS.

An artist with a cause

Thele's writing itself is a form of activism, as he uses his platform as a bestselling LGBTQ+ author to address important issues and give a voice to his community.

Preserving history: His semi-autobiographical Shane Davison Chronicles series serves to document and process the trauma of the AIDS crisis and the experience of growing up gay in a conservative environment.
Political stance: He has also been vocal about broader political threats to LGBTQ+ literature, showing his commitment to using his voice to fight against oppression and censorship.

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What are some themes in Dale Thele's writing?

In his writing, author Dale Thele frequently explores themes of LGBTQ+ identity, coming of age, and the complexities of finding acceptance. Drawing from his own upbringing in a conservative, small-town setting in the South, his work often features characters navigating their lives and relationships in challenging environments.

Key themes in Dale Thele's writing include:

The LGBTQ+ experience in conservative settings: As seen in the Shane Davison Chronicles, Thele chronicles the story of a gay teenager navigating a "predominantly heterosexual environment" in a small conservative oil town. This theme explores the challenges and prejudices that LGBTQ+ individuals face in places where they are not readily accepted.
Supernatural and spiritual elements: In his Lost Creek Junction series, Thele delves into the world of the supernatural, with plot lines involving ghosts, curses, and witches. These elements add a layer of mystery and magical realism to his character-driven stories.
The struggle for acceptance and authenticity: His narratives often focus on characters who are trying to live authentically despite societal pressures to conform. This is evident in the coming-of-age journey of his characters, as they deal with "deeply hidden skeletons in closets" and navigate relationships in a hostile world.
The contrast between tradition and modernity: Thele's Southern Fiction often draws a contrast between the deeply ingrained traditions of small Southern towns and the changing realities of modern life. This creates a backdrop for internal and external conflicts as characters are forced to choose between the expectations of their community and their own desires.
Detailed and descriptive visual writing: Thele has been noted for his use of descriptive and visual writing. This style transports readers into the specific settings of his novels, from the fictional Lost Creek Junction to his small-town Southern locations.

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What are common themes in Dale Thele's LGBTQ+ fiction?

In his LGBTQ+ fiction, Dale Thele frequently explores themes of identity, romance, and navigating life as a gay individual in a predominantly straight world. His work also often includes Southern settings, secrets, and paranormal elements, as seen in his first two series.

Navigating life as a gay individual

A consistent theme is the challenge of existing in a heterosexual-dominated society.

Coming-of-age: In the Shane Davison Chronicles series, Thele chronicles the experiences of a gay teenager coming of age in a small, ultra-conservative oil town.
Universal struggles: He shows how LGBTQ+ characters face similar triumphs and obstacles to their heterosexual counterparts, while also contending with the added pressures and judgments of a heteronormative world.
Secrecy and authenticity: The novels delve into the secrets and lies people create to conform, exposing the "skeletons in closets" that are kept hidden from society.

Supernatural and Southern Gothic elements

In addition to realistic queer narratives, Thele also incorporates otherworldly and Southern settings into his stories.

Paranormal mysteries: In the Lost Creek Junction series, characters encounter supernatural forces like ghosts, witches, and curses.
Secrets and drama: The supernatural elements often serve as a catalyst for revealing buried secrets and providing shocking twists to the plot.
Southern atmosphere: Thele's background as a native Oklahoman who writes about the South informs the tone and setting of many of his works.

Romance and relationships

Thele's LGBTQ+ fiction, including his Naughty Gay Adult Bedtime Stories, is also known for its romantic and often explicit content.

Desire and fantasy: Some works focus on romantic relationships, lust, and sexual fantasies, with stories exploring sexual tension and attraction between different characters.
Relationship dynamics: His writing explores various relationship dynamics, including new attractions, old friendships, and the compromises characters make in love and life.

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What other factors influenced his character development

besides his service career?

Besides his service career, Dale Thele's character development was significantly shaped by his upbringing in a small, conservative Oklahoma oil town, his firsthand experience with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the influence of other authors.

Small-town upbringing

Thele's formative years in a "sleepy north-central Oklahoma oil town" provided a foundation for his narrative themes.

Conservative clash: His characters are often LGBTQ+ individuals navigating a predominantly heterosexual world. This conflict between his characters' identities and the conservative environment they grow up in mirrors Thele's own life.
A Southern perspective: Growing up in the South gave him a distinct regional perspective that he incorporates into his "Southern Fiction," providing an authentic cultural backdrop for his stories.

HIV/AIDS epidemic

Thele's experience during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and his own later diagnosis in 2012 left a profound, life-altering mark on his character development.

Survivor's guilt: He has spoken openly about the survivor's guilt he felt after losing many friends to the disease. This trauma of loss and grief informs the deep emotional undercurrents and complex character relationships in his work, such as with protagonist Shane Davison [Shane Davison Chronicles series].
A new purpose: His own AIDS diagnosis became a turning point, providing the motivation to process his experiences and give a voice to others who had suffered in similar ways. This newfound purpose fuels the emotional depth and personal investment in his characters.

Literary influences

Thele has credited several authors with influencing his writing style, which in turn would shape his character development.

Inspired writers: He lists Timothy James Beck, Michael Thomas Ford, and Bryan Healey as influences. By studying their work, Thele learned how to create compelling characters and construct narratives in a similar vein, tailoring his approach to his specific experiences.

A late start

As a late-blooming writer, Thele's character development benefits from his extensive life experience.

Older perspective: His characters are imbued with a depth and emotional maturity that can only come from decades of life, love, and loss. This lived experience helps him portray complex relationships and secrets with nuance.
Emotional core: The combination of his rural upbringing, traumatic loss, personal health struggles, and eventual decision to write with honesty gives his work an authentic emotional core. This personal investment makes his characters and their journeys more believable and resonant with readers.

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Give examples of events in the Chronicles reflecting Shane's challenges as a gay man in a heterosexual world

While a complete plot summary is not available, the semi-autobiographical nature of Dale Thele's Shane Davison Chronicles and his background as a gay man growing up in conservative Oklahoma suggest several examples of events that would reflect Shane's challenges in a heterosexual world. These include: Dealing with closeted loneliness and fear Thele has openly spoken about the emotional toll of living in the closet and the subsequent survivor's guilt he experienced during the AIDS crisis. Shane's story likely mirrors these struggles:

A "closeted loneliness": Thele's own words reference the feeling of being trapped by secrecy, which would be a major theme for Shane as he grows up. This internal isolation is one of the most painful aspects of his experience.
Fear of discovery: A character like Shane would live in constant fear of being discovered, which could manifest in anxiety-inducing scenes where he has to conceal his identity from family, friends, or strangers. This tension and emotional pressure would drive much of his internal conflict.

Facing social and emotional isolation

Growing up gay in a small, conservative town, Shane would likely have faced profound social isolation.

Lack of belonging: Without many (or any) visible queer role models or friends, Shane would have struggled with a lack of belonging and self-acceptance.
"Chosen family": As is common with many LGBTQ+ individuals, Shane likely realizes the importance of building a "chosen family" of friends who accept and love him for who he is, making up for the potential rejection he fears from his birth family or community.

Enduring rejection from loved ones

Based on Thele's experience and the reality for many LGBTQ+ individuals, Shane would have encountered painful rejections from those closest to him.

Family friction: His journey would likely involve difficult conversations or tense relationships with family members who may not understand or approve of his identity. Thele himself had a supportive father, but has spoken of the many who do not, suggesting Shane's experience would explore this painful reality.
Lost friendships: Thele's personal history of losing friends to the AIDS crisis and the general experience of social rejection suggest Shane would have seen friends drift away or turn hostile upon his coming out.

Experiencing external hostility

Beyond social rejection, Shane's story would have confronted overt hostility from the heterosexual world.

Verbal and physical harassment: As an out gay man in a predominantly straight world, Shane would likely be a target for homophobic verbal abuse and potentially physical harassment from bullies or other intolerant individuals.
Navigating dating and romance: As Shane navigates romantic relationships, he would face the unique challenges of dating as a gay man, including the fear of hostility from others and the potential for internalized homophobia.

Navigating secrecy and internal conflict

The series title itself, The Shane Davison Chronicles, suggests a deep dive into Shane's personal history, which, given Thele's own background, would involve unpacking difficult personal secrets.

Hidden skeletons: The narrative would likely feature "deeply hidden skeletons" and painful secrets that Shane and his friends must confront.
The trauma of the AIDS epidemic: Thele's own experience with the AIDS crisis is a foundational element of his story, and this trauma would be explored through Shane's lens. This could involve dealing with the grief of losing friends and the fear of his own diagnosis.

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What are the social dynamics in Thele's fictionalized

Oklahoma town?

Based on Dale Thele's background and the themes explored in his semi-autobiographical Shane Davison Chronicles, the social dynamics of his fictionalized Oklahoma oil town are shaped by conformity, homophobia, social surveillance, and the unspoken trauma of the AIDS epidemic.

Conformity and traditional values

Growing up in a "sleepy north-central Oklahoma oil town," Thele was immersed in a culture that valued tradition and conformity. In his fictional world, these values create social pressure for everyone to conform to accepted norms, particularly in terms of gender and sexuality. Any deviation from this norm, such as Shane's nascent gay identity, creates a stark clash and internal conflict.

Homophobia and social rejection

As an LGBTQ+ individual in a conservative environment, Shane encounters homophobia, which manifests as:

Social isolation: Shane experiences a deep "closeted loneliness," driven by the fear of being rejected by friends and family. This forces him to suppress his true self, preventing him from forming genuine connections.
Subtle hostilities: Thele's characters often experience both overt and subtle hostility. The social dynamics include subtle forms of prejudice, like gossip and ostracization, that reinforce the negative perception of LGBTQ+ identities.
Threat of violence: The constant fear of physical or verbal harassment from intolerant individuals is a pervasive threat that shapes Shane's interactions and limits his freedom.

Social surveillance and rumor

In small towns, social interactions are often governed by a constant sense of being watched and judged. This environment fosters a dynamic where:

Gossip serves as a tool of control: Gossip functions as a social currency, enforcing conformity by punishing those who deviate from the accepted norm. Any perceived difference, such as Shane's sexuality, would be a frequent topic of speculation and judgment.
Secrets and skeletons: Thele explores "deeply hidden skeletons," which are a direct consequence of a social environment that forces its members to conceal painful or unconventional aspects of themselves. The fear of these secrets being revealed is a powerful social dynamic in his work.

The trauma of the AIDS epidemic

Although the epidemic is a historical event, its long-term social effects are deeply embedded in Thele's writing and inform the town's dynamics.

Unspoken grief: Thele's personal trauma of losing friends to AIDS likely informs how the town's characters handle loss and illness. The grief would be palpable but unspoken, as shame and fear from the epidemic's early years linger.
Fear of contagion: The fear and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS would contribute to the social dynamics, particularly in relationships and how people treat one another. This fear would further isolate LGBTQ+ individuals and deepen existing prejudices.

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In his writing, Thele has stated that he intends to continue to share stories with LGBTQ+ characters. How does Dale Thele incorporate his life experiences into his characters and stories?

According to his official website, Dale Thele incorporates his own lived experiences as an LGBTQ+ person into his characters and stories to provide authentic and relatable narratives. In a blog post titled "Why I Write Stories Featuring LGBTQ+ Characters," he explains that his work is rooted in his own personal experiences and observations.

Sources of inspiration:

Growing up in Oklahoma: Thele writes mostly Southern fiction, with many of his LGBT characters having their own "twisted, far-fetched adventures". In his online bio, he notes that he "raised heck in a sleepy north-central Oklahoma oil town for 18 years" before moving away.
Observations of people: Some of his short fiction is explicitly based on observations of people he's encountered. For example, the description of his short story Roadhouse Friday states that it is based on his observations of people at a diner.
LGBTQ+ characters: Thele writes LGBTQ+ characters into his Southern fiction because of the "profound impact such narratives can have". His personal experiences as a gay man allow him to bring a genuine voice to these characters and their stories.
Vicarious living: Thele, who now lives in Austin, Texas, writes that he lives "vicariously through the fictional characters I conjure up". This suggests that his characters explore things the author has experienced, or perhaps things he has wished he had experienced, in his own life.

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Does Dale Thele have LGBTQ+ characters in other books?

Yes, author Dale Thele includes LGBTQ+ characters in other books, beyond his Shane Davison Chronicles and Lost Creek Junction series. His work frequently incorporates an LGBTQ+ perspective, with a focus on gay relationships and identity.

Notable examples include:

NAUGHTY Gay Adult BEDTIME STORIES: As the title suggests, this is a collection of adult short stories that explore various themes within the gay experience.
Masked Identities: This novella features a gay Victorian-era tale of forbidden love between two men, Ezra and Christian, within its plot. The narrative is discovered by a modern-day character whose own floundering gay relationship is mirrored by the historical story.
Roadhouse Friday: This is a short story in which an individual observes the people he encounters at a diner, and from those observations, he creates detailed fictional stories. Given Thele's focus on an LGBTQ+ perspective, these stories likely include queer characters and themes.
Harvest Moon: Like Roadhouse Friday, this is another of Thele's early works that touches on his recurring themes.

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What are common themes in Dale Thele's writing besides LGBTQIA+ topics?

Beyond LGBTQIA+ topics, Dale Thele's writing explores several common themes, often drawn from his own experiences in small-town Oklahoma and later in Austin, Texas. His work frequently explores themes of coming of age, personal reflection, the complexities of small-town life, and human connection.

Coming of age

A defining theme in Thele's work is the journey of growing up and finding oneself.

The Shane Davison Chronicles, for instance, is a prominent example, detailing the life of a gay teenager navigating his formative years in a heteronormative environment.
The broader theme of self-discovery is also present in his personal narrative, where he describes his own life as a series of "compulsions strung together by atrocious acts of stupidity and boredom" during his youth in Oklahoma.

Personal reflection
Thele frequently weaves elements of his own life into his narratives, exploring themes of memory, experience, and the path that leads people to where they are.

In his short story Roadhouse Friday, a character observes people and creates fictional stories based on his observations, mirroring Thele's own process of drawing inspiration from his life.
This act of storytelling as a means of reflection is a recurring motif.

Small-town life

The contrast between life in a small, conservative town and a more diverse, urban environment is another powerful theme.

Thele grew up in an "ultra-conservative oil town" in Oklahoma, and his move to Austin deeply influenced his worldview and writing.
His stories often examine the experiences of feeling out of place and the conflict between small-town mindsets and broader perspectives, highlighting the desire to escape a town that offers limited opportunities.

Human connection

Many of Thele's stories focus on the formation and intricacies of relationships between people and/or animals.

Friendship and Reunion: Return to Lost Creek Junction features four college friends reuniting after a year and reflecting on how they overcame challenges, including ghosts and strange things that went bump in the night.
Unexpected Encounters: His short story Harvest Moon depicts "unexpected encounters under the glow of a Harvest Moon," exploring the idea of brief, meaningful connections between people and animals.

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Frequently Asked Questions

In his writing, Thele has stated that he intends to continue to share stories

with LGBTQ+ characters. How does Dale Thele incorporate his life experiences

into his characters and stories?

Does Dale Thele have LGBTQ+ characters in other books?

​

In his writing, Thele has stated that he intends to continue to share stories with LGBTQ+ characters. How does Dale Thele incorporate his life experiences into his characters and stories?

Does Dale Thele have LGBTQ+ characters in other books?

​

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Frequently
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