Jessica Rao joins the Author Spotlight to discuss her debut novel, Nowhere to Go but Everywhere
Author Name: Jessica Rao
Book Title: Nowhere to Go but Everywhere
Book Genre: Literary/Book Club Fiction
Release Date: September 29, 2026
Publisher: Ten16 /Orange Hat
Welcome, Jessica! How would you describe Nowhere to Go but Everywhere ?
Nowhere to Go but Everywhere is a gritty coming-of-age story set amid nineties youth culture. A college-girl turned waitress dreams of going west — three different men, lots of grunge music.
What sparked the idea for this book?
Like Helena the protagonist, I attended the University at Albany, worked as a waitress and wanted to go west. But that’s where the lived experience ends. The twists and turns the book takes belong to Helena. She took my life and ran with it.
How long did it take for you to write the book? Did you do any research?
I’ve been working on the book for a decade. I wrote two versions and rewrote the second one several times. Lots of slashing and burning. As for research, I listened to nineties music, read nineties current events, and studied the map and architecture of Albany.
What’s your favorite part about writing/being an author? What do you find challenging?
I love that unadulterated, happy creative place where the proverbial “shitty first draft” comes to life. I also love going back in and crafting, nuancing, trimming the fat. I find wrapping it up, tying a bow and submitting a challenge. I need a deadline.
Fans of which authors or books might gravitate toward your book?
Fans of literary, book club fiction will appreciate the book – especially those who enjoy Lily King and Sally Rooney. I’ve also heard that the book has Margo’s Got Money Troubles vibes.
What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
All who wonder are not lost.
Any words of wisdom you give your pre-published writer self (or to a new writer)?
Keep at it. Develop a writing practice. Good things take time.
Are you working on a new project? Please tell us about it.
Before I even finished Nowhere to Go but Everywhere, a new character snuck up on me in a writing bootcamp. Carolyn is a 47-year-old suburban mom in a funk. Seems to be a coming -of-middle age.
Where can readers find you?
Events
Tues 9/29 at 6:30pm – Launch Party at Bedford Books, Bedford, NY
Thurs 10/1 at 6:30pm – Launch Party at the Woman’s Club of White Plains, White Plains, NY
Sat 10/3 at 3pm – Book Signing at the Book House at Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY
Mon 10/19 at 7:30 pm – In Conversation with Sally Koslow at The Rabbit Books & Bar, NY, NY
Thank you, Jessica! Nowhere to Go but Everywhere is out TODAY.
Nowhere to Go but Everywhere
Helena Vinci might like grunge and Camel Lights, but she’s not a fan of frat boys or anything else about Albany college life. When she drops out and takes a job waiting tables near the Capitol, her plan is to save up to see “the real world” out west. But soon she finds herself trapped in a new way, torn between two men – a sexy DJ and a fellow slacker with wanderlust – and a third, a politician who promises financial security, but at a price. When and how will Helena learn that you don’t have to go on the road to find yourself?
Nowhere to Go but Everywhere is a piercing coming-of-age novel about the perils and pleasures of learning to chart your own path.