The grand expanse and grace of nature is an oasis for Smokey, and they need it. Smokey most of all wants the comfort and safety of their mother, but she is cycling through boyfriends, including a dangerous man who moves in. So Smokey, a nonbinary kid, finds solace in the forests, embracing the strength and beauty of the environment. That’s the backdrop of Charlie J. Stephens’ debut novel A Wounded Deer Leaps Highest, which Stephens will read from and talk about August 8 at the Eugene Downtown Public Library. Stephens, who is nonbinary, writes about adult themes in gritty detail with touches of tenderness for Smokey. “I’ve had to be clear that this novel is adult literary fiction, and not necessarily appropriate for younger readers,” they say, adding that they hope that adults who read the book “are exposed to some of the struggles that young queer/nonbinary people could be experiencing and that more compassion and awareness might come from that for all our LGBTQ youth.” Born and raised in Salem, Stephens received their M.A. at San Francisco State University in 2009 and now resides in Port Orford where they opened Sea Wolf Books & Community Writing Center. The small-town life agrees with Stephens, even if locals miss sometimes on the pronouns. “I will say, though, that people are trying and are getting it, which is incredible,” they say. And, like Smokey, Stephens has immersed themselves in the wilderness. “This morning on the way to work I stopped at the grocery store and an osprey flew over the parking lot with a fish,” they note. “This happens regularly! I feel incredibly lucky.”