Phil Stamper grew up in a village near Dayton, Ohio, before moving first to Washington DC and then New York City to become an author of young adult novels. His first book, The Gravity Of Us (2020) was an indie bestseller in the US, and a fan-favourite in Australia. His second book, As Far As You’ll Take Me (2021), is an incredibly personal novel dealing with issues of coming out, body image and how to turn a failure into a meaningful life journey. Phil spoke with Hendri Yulius Wijaya for DNA.