Now Is Not the Time to Panic

Kevin Wilson’s Now Is Not the Time to Panic, published in 2022, is the fourth of his novels. Wilson’s fiction is known for its quirky yet endearing characters and its often reality-bending circumstances.

His work has been featured in numerous journals, including Ploughshares, Southern Review, One Story, A Public Space, and others. His short stories have been included in the Best American Short Stories series in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, the National Endowment for the Arts selected Wilson’s previous novel, Nothing to See Here, for its “Big Read” program. The novel was a New York Times bestseller and a “Read with Jenna” Today Show selection.

Wilson lives with his wife, poet Leigh Anne Couch, and two sons in Tennessee, where he is Associate Professor of English at Sewanee: The University of the South. He holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Florida.

This guide refers to the 2022 hardcover by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Content Warning: The source novel contains depictions of mental illness, including bipolar disorder.

Plot Summary

The novel alternates between its primary setting of Coalfield, Tennessee, during the summer of 1996 and present-day Kentucky. It is the story of two teenagers, self-proclaimed social misfits Frances “Frankie” Budge and Zeke Brown. The novel opens with a phone call between adult Frankie (the novel’s narrator) and Mazzy Brower, a reporter who confronts Frankie about a secret from her past. Frankie acknowledges the truth of the secret, and the plot shifts to the past.

At 16, Frankie is bored, occupying her days by watching VHS tapes, eating popsicles, and wandering aimlessly about her empty house. She meets Zeke at the city’s public pool. Zeke and his mother have temporarily moved to his grandmother’s house following Zeke’s father’s infidelity. Zeke appears to be, like Frankie, friendless, and the two decide to spend their days together.

An aspiring comic-book artist, Zeke suggests to Frankie that they devote the summer to making art. Frankie has confessed to Zeke that she is drafting a novel—a type of subversive Nancy Drew fan fiction. Their quest to create something unique leads them to a broken photocopier in Frankie’s garage, stolen a year earlier by her triplet brothers. Zeke persuades Frankie to create a poster that they will display throughout Coalfield. He urges Frankie to write something odd and seemingly meaningless that will enchant those who come across the poster. Frankie writes the phrase, “The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us” (38). Zeke creates a drawing to accompany the phrase, and the two make photocopies of the poster, vowing to keep its authorship a secret for life. Frankie kisses Zeke, and this begins their sporadic physical relationship.

The two spend the ensuing summer days hanging the poster around the town, hoping it will be noticed and admired. Before too long, it is. Other teenagers regard the poster as cool and edgy, and copycat versions begin to appear. The poster catches the attention of local media, and becomes a concern for a group in Coalfield who insists the phrase and imagery are the work of a satanic cult. The poster’s influence grows worse when two teenagers invent a lie of being kidnapped and drugged by individuals in a van claiming to be “fugitives.” This leads to great backlash against the poster, and Zeke fears the repercussions the two could face if caught. The presence of the poster spreads beyond Coalfield and ultimately gains national attention. When a classmate of Frankie’s dies after attempting to affix a copy of the poster to the town’s water tower, Zeke becomes adamant that they must stop displaying the poster. Frankie disagrees and convinces him to continue.

Bored of Coalfield, one day Zeke proposes they take a trip to Memphis, where Zeke’s father still lives. The two spend the day there, hanging the poster around the city; then, Zeke offers to show Frankie his house. When the two affix a copy of the poster to the front door, they are caught by Zeke’s father. Zeke’s father is furious to discover that Zeke is the poster’s author, and Zeke physically attacks him. The teens return to Coalfield, but their friendship has been damaged. Back home, Frankie learns another teen has died as a result of the poster, this time accidentally shot by a group of vigilantes certain of the poster’s satanic associations. In the days that follow, Zeke fails to come to Frankie’s house to make more art, so Frankie visits his grandmother’s house, hoping he will speak to her. Zeke refuses but informs Frankie that his mother is forcing him to return to Memphis, fearful of the circumstances in Coalfield as the panic over the poster mounts. Upset, Frankie falls and breaks her arm as she runs to her car.

Crying and in pain, Frankie drives away. As she approaches her house, she decides to drive her car into a neighbor’s tree in an attempt to account for her broken arm. The neighbor, an elderly former performance artist named Randolph Avery, comes to Frankie’s aid but discovers the copies of the poster in her car. He agrees to hide them for Frankie and promises to keep Frankie’s authorship a secret. As the summer ends, Frankie finishes her novel as her broken arm heals. She has no contact with Zeke.

Interspersed throughout are phone calls between adult Frankie and Mazzy Brower, who has uncovered Frankie as the poster’s author and plans to reveal this information in an article. Eventually, Frankie agrees to meet with Mazzy. Frankie relays details about her life following the summer of 1996: She attended college, published several novels—including the Nancy Drew inspired one she drafted as a teen—married, and has a daughter, Junie.

Before the secret of the poster is revealed publicly, Frankie decides she must inform her mother of her role in its creation. She drives to Coalfield and is surprised to learn that her mother knew of Frankie’s involvement all along, having suspected it after the supply of copy machine paper continually dwindled that summer, coupled with Frankie’s uneasiness. Frankie then asserts that she must warn Zeke, in person, of the ensuing article. After some digging, she discovers Zeke still resides in Memphis at the same address where his father lived in 1996. Frankie speaks on the phone with Zeke briefly, but then drives to his home unannounced. Zeke agrees to speak with her, explaining his subsequent diagnosis with bipolar disorder and sharing some of the difficulties his mental illness has caused. He asks Frankie not to reveal his involvement in the poster, and, after some convincing, she agrees.

The novel ends with Frankie explaining the secret to her young daughter, who, to Frankie’s surprise, recalls the line from the poster (insisting Frankie recited it to her numerous times when she was a baby). Frankie is reassured that the line—and its magic—will live on and continue to hold meaning.