Tom Cole on Autofiction, Shame-Based Writing

Chimes is a monologue written by Tom Cole, published in 2026 by The Song Cave as a slim volume of 120 pages. It was initially presented as an episodic audio play at Le Petit Versailles, a community garden in New York’s East Village, during the summer of 2020. The work blends fiction with theatrical elements, designed to feel immediate and engaging like a live performance. The narrative follows an unnamed narrator, a gay man reflecting on isolation, crisis, and absurdity during early COVID-19 lockdowns. The book’s structure and brevity (readable in one or two days) were intentional, aiming to mimic the experience of attending a show rather than reading a traditional play or novel. Cole describes it as a hybrid form, neither pure memoir nor straightforward fiction, but a blend that captures emotional truth rather than factual accuracy.

Autofiction is a literary genre where an author blends autobiographical elements with fictional storytelling, often blurring the line between reality and imagination. In Chimes, Tom Cole deliberately avoids labeling the work as autofiction, despite its personal themes, because much of the content is constructed or exaggerated for artistic effect. The unnamed narrator is an unreliable narrator, meaning their perspective cannot be trusted as accurate or objective. This unreliability is intentional, as Cole seeks to capture the subjectivity of personal experience. The narrator’s emotional truth—how they feel—is prioritized over factual truth. Cole grew up in Louisiana and North Carolina, influenced by Southern Gothic writing, which often features a contrast between politeness and grotesque humor, and Catholic upbringing, which he links to a sense of shame that drives his writing.

Tom Cole identifies as a shame-based writer, meaning he draws from feelings of embarrassment, guilt, or discomfort to fuel his creative process. He describes this as a masochistic approach, where the heat of shame signals material worth exploring, even if it makes him uncomfortable. The humor in his work, such as the line A crying queen is a scheming queen, serves as a way to confront and process these shameful or difficult experiences. Cole’s writing often explores taboo subjects like sexuality, family dysfunction, and societal norms, using humor to make these topics more accessible. He compares this to Southern Gothic traditions, where dark humor and grotesquerie coexist with themes of shame and judgment. The emotional rawness of his work resonates with readers who find universality in their own shameful or hidden experiences.

The first draft of Chimes was over twice as long as the final version, exceeding 240 pages. Cole underwent an intensive editing process with The Song Cave, receiving over 1,000 notes from editors. The goal was to reduce the manuscript to 120 pages, making it concise enough to be read in a short time while retaining its theatrical quality. This extreme editing involved cutting sections that did not serve the core narrative or emotional impact. The process was driven by the desire to create a work that feels like a live performance, fast-paced and immersive, rather than a dense or sprawling text. Cole’s approach reflects his background in theater, where brevity and immediacy are often prioritized for audience engagement.

Morgan Bassichis, a performer and writer, engaged in a conversation with Tom Cole about Chimes after reading it. Bassichis found the monologue relatable and emotionally resonant, describing it as a balm during a disorienting time after finishing their own show, Can I Be Frank?. Bassichis appreciates the narrator’s unreliability and emotional truth, noting that the absence of a name for the narrator made it easier to inhabit the character’s psyche. They highlight the book’s humor and depravity, which Bassichis describes as liberating and universally relatable, especially in LGBTQ+ contexts. Bassichis also praises Cole’s ability to untangle complex themes like American sexuality through direct, unflinching storytelling.

Performance is central to Tom Cole’s work, both in writing and presentation. Chimes was originally an audio play performed in a community garden, with speakers installed to create an immersive experience. Cole describes performing as a masochistic act, where the artist exposes themselves to an audience’s reactions, often seeking laughter or validation. The narrator of Chimes embodies this masochism, driven by compulsive needs and a velocity of emotions. Cole reflects on whether he should perform the monologue himself or allow others to do so, acknowledging that his personal involvement might add a layer of authenticity or pathos. He expresses openness to others adapting the work, provided they approach it with care and respect for its themes.