WKU’s Department of English invited Novelist Nathan Gower for an evening public reading in Grise Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Gower guided listeners through parts of his historical fiction and mystery novel, “The Act of Disappearing,” explaining how it weaves together themes of mental health and family dynamics, while still preserving the suspense of a historical mystery. 

Those themes were heavily inspired by Gower’s deep familial history.

“Mostly the women in my family have suffered from a long history of affective disorders and also schizotypal disorders,” Gower said. “So it just felt important to write about.”

Gower’s novel explores the recurring theme of mental health and how perceptions toward it shift over time, and how it was managed throughout different eras. 

“The Act of Disappearing” follows two protagonists within a dual timeline that come together in the end, weaving the characters together through memories of the past and present times. As Gower read excerpts from his novel, the audience took notes and let out quiet sounds of astonishment. 

Gower — raised in Henderson, Kentucky — said his deep roots in Western Kentucky shaped the novel, which paid homage to his hometown. 

After teaching English in central Kentucky for 13 years, Gower moved to North Carolina last July. This event marked Gower’s first time back in the state for a formal literary event. 

Sherry Logsdon, a retired teacher, attended this event to support local authors but was surprised when she found out mental health was a major theme. 

“I research on insane asylums, that’s what I do,” Logsdon said. “I go, I spend the night, and I write about them. Mental health and asylums, I love, that’s major to me.”

Several creative writers sat in the room and left inspired by Gower’s words and insight. 

Sydney Thier, a former student who graduated in May 2025 with a Master’s in Fine Arts in creative writing, was especially intrigued by the publishing process. As a writer herself, she attended not only to hear Gower read, but also to gain insight into his experience as a published author. 

“Whenever I hear a writer or an author talk about their work and their experience in publishing, it always makes me want to continue to pursue my own writing,” Thier said. “Because you have someone in front of you, who’s shown you that it’s possible.”