Grownups: a novel

Justus Rhodes Humphrey
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:45:15 PDT

This thesis is a novel. The story centers on three artistic best friends as they shift from carefree college students into stressed adults. Scott, a musician, is reluctantly groomed to take over his parents' business when they retire. Theo, a painter, plans to use his creativity as a graphic designer only to wind up filing paperwork. And Oscar, a writer, discovers that both graduate school and teaching fall short of his dreams. Living far from each other for the first time, they must face life's challenges-including marriage, heartbreak, and disappointment-without one another's support close at hand. Oscar turns these events into fiction and struggles with his emotional response to the process. But he keeps writing, wishing it could change past mistakes