English professor and Cleveland State University Poetry Center associate director Hilary Plum is at it again with another book, State Champ. 

This time, it’s about a hunger strike protest in a shuttered abortion clinic somewhere in the Rust Belt, following the passage of a “heartbeat law” that makes most abortions illegal.

Plum, who has been an editor for more than 20 years, puts her writing on display in many forms, including fiction, essays, poetry and criticism.

State Champ is her sixth book and third novel.

“I regularly write and comment on issues in book publishing—for example, in the podcast Index for Continuance, which I co-host with Zach Peckham (a CSU alum),” Plum said.

State Champ follows Angela, who reaches the pinnacle of success as a high school runner but later drops out of college after personal struggles. She eventually becomes a receptionist at an abortion clinic, which closes after her boss is arrested for providing illegal procedures. 

Angela responds by launching a hunger strike.

“Subjects of my work include protest and forms of care, work and labor, writing illness, and considering the legacy of the ‘global war on terror,’” Plum said. “This book extends from my interest in what people try to do in response to an unjust situation they care about, and my interest in what good work might be in a situation that constrains your ability to act freely. It’s also about bodily autonomy, abortion as health care, and how we think about freedom and privacy.”

The novel has already drawn praise. Novelist Leni Zumas wrote:

“Oh, this voice! Ferocious, hilarious, slippery, wise, I couldn’t stop listening. Hilary Plum is one of my favorite writers working today because her curiosity about injustice and liberation is so relentless, so tender, and so alert to the fact that every single one of us is implicated in the struggle.”

Raising awareness of key social issues is a consistent thread in Plum’s work, and this novel directly tackles reproductive rights, bodily autonomy and the consequences of restrictive laws.

“This story is based on the loss of abortion access, reproductive rights, gender equality, and gender-affirming care that’s been occurring across this country even before the Dobbs decision,” she said. 

“And it’s probably based on my experience of being a woman and one-time athlete and person with a chronic illness at work.”

About the author:
Hilary Plum is a writer, editor and teacher. Her recent work includes the novel State Champ (Bloomsbury, 2025), the long poem Important Groups, and the essay collection Hole Studies. With Zach Savich, she edits the Open Prose Series at Rescue Press. With Zach Peckham, she co-hosts the podcast Index for Continuance. She teaches at Cleveland State University and serves as associate director of the CSU Poetry Center.

For more information about the book and to order, click here.