Lonesome Goatherd Blues. Y’all don’t sleep on the new Jonny Miles book, pictured here perched on a goat skull. Our hero lies about his qualifications, pads his resume, and ends up alone and unprepared on a tiny island with the job of restoring ecological balance by eradicating invasive goats. This book stays well out of the ditches, avoids cliche at every turn, and sets up a fable in which the very idea that things “should be” one way or another is called into question.
Consider: “Adi wandered through this damp gnarled sanctuary as through a dream not his own—a dinosaur’s dream, or an orchid’s, or the deathbed memory of a shriveled island summoning its glistening green prime.”
It's when you realize that the author has completely given you permission , through character development , cinematic and concise writing , to leave the world you reside in, and create a new moment of time ,spent with the plight of the books characters, that you give in. You let go ! Max has a rhythm to each sentence and paragraph that is mesmerizing ,comfortable . The words and story illicit a world of inclusion , a call and response hymnal of sorts that we are all singing together . The themes of this hymnal are familiar , redemptive, scary , loving , and absolutely brutal and horrifying in its historic truths . In this divisive , phone driven heavy world we are living in currently , getting lost in a book like this, and letting its art form guide you to places of morality and self reflection, are vital . I laughed out loud , cried , and had those " are you fucking kidding me" moments in this book . Please give this book a read and celebrate the craft of a great writer and lovely person . Way to go @maxwatman , quite an amazing accomplishment .
Coming January 6th, 2026! COURAGE to WRITE grantee Max Watman's novel, TOMORROW, THE WAR will be published by Heresy Press.
This is especially exciting, as it is the project for which Max was awarded a grant!
TOMORROW, THE WAR is a sweeping historical epic that follows the intertwined lives of Jed Stokes, a restless wanderer shaped by violence, and Raleigh, a once-enslaved man seeking justice. Perfect for fans of historical fiction, TOMORROW, THE WAR is a gripping tale of survival, rebellion, chutzpah, and redemption.
Click the Linktree in our bio to learn more and pre-order your copy ✏️
