11 Books That Inspired Benny Peterson’s ‘The Maidenheads’
Benny Peterson's new novel, The Maidenheads, draws inspiration from various authors and their works that shaped his writing. In a Vogue feature, Peterson discusses how books like Blake Nelson's Girl and Carrie Brownstein's Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl influenced his storytelling. The novel explores themes of identity and community within the indie-grunge scene of the early 2000s.
- ▪The Maidenheads is a novel by Benny Peterson that reflects on the indie-grunge scene of the early 2000s.
- ▪Peterson cites several authors, including Blake Nelson and Carrie Brownstein, as significant influences on his writing.
- ▪The novel addresses themes of identity and community, particularly in relation to gender nonconformity.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Books11 Books That Inspired Benny Peterson’s The MaidenheadsBy Emma SpecterMay 26, 2026Photo: Farrah SkeikySave StorySave this storySave StorySave this storyThere’s no real substitute for living through the indie-grunge scene of the early 2000s, but reading Benny Peterson’s beautifully illustrated and delightfully queer new novel, The Maidenheads—out now from Penguin Random House—is perhaps as close as you can get to actually running wild and free through the very specific world of D.C. punk.For the latest installment of Vogue’s Required Reading series, Peterson opened up about the fellow writers whose work most makes them want to write, from Carrie Brownstein to Andrea Lawlor to Raven Leilani.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Vogue.
