New author photo.
My new novel, THE TULIP POPLARS, comes out October 13 so we’re gearing up for its release. The gorgeous book cover will be revealed very soon. In the meantime, I was happy to be photographed by the intuitive photographer Matt Johnson for the book’s publicity. I look like I could be sitting in one of the scenes from the novel, which I like to describe as a literary Heated Rivalry set in Eastern Kentucky, New York City, and Lexington over the course of the 20th century.
📸: @mcjohnsonphotography for The Tulip Poplars, publishing 10/13 by @littlebrown / @algonquinbooks
Head over to PEOPLE for all the details and my interview in the exclusive reveal of the beautiful cover for my new novel, publishing October 13. Link in bio and story. Thanks to June Park for the art direction for and Jaya Miceli for the gorgeous design, and everyone at Algonquin/ Little, Brown.
The song playing was a guiding force for me in writing this novel. Written by Nick Cave, perfectly sung by Allison Moorer and Shelby Lynne. @1allisonmoorer@ogshelbylynne
He could sit anywhere he wants in this house but he usually sits with me. There are few things better than when I am writing and he stands near the chair or couch and whines so I’ll move over enough for him to squeeze in beside me. Dogs are one of the best things in the world.
If you’re able to give a dog a good home, take them in and do it. I won’t lie, it’s a lot of work but the rewards far outweigh any labor or aggravation.
How do you live a life that feels untrue, and at what point do you risk everything?
Spanning most of the 20th century, THE TULIP POPLARS centers on four people trying to find happiness in a world that demands conventional choices. Inspired by the story of his own ancestor, Silas House tells a deeply intimate story of faith and doubt, race and class, sexual desire and the longing to be good when you’ve been taught that you are evil for loving who you love.
THE TULIP POPLARS is out October 13th and is available to preorder now.
I’m incredibly honored (and totally fangirling) to have the endorsement of Silas House in my race for Congress.
Silas has spent his career telling stories set in the mountains of Appalachia and advocating for Kentucky communities. I’m deeply grateful to have his support as we work to build a future that puts working people first. Take a moment to hear why he believes in the movement we’re building together, and most importantly, make a plan to vote!
Early voting is May 14, 15, and 16, and Election Day is May 19 🗳️
#gotv #ky06 #flipthesixth #foryoupage #fyp
So much great reading awaits you.
Erin Osmon is one of our very best music writers and WON’T BACK DOWN is a masterpiece of music writing. Important, timely, and compulsively readable, this is a must-read. Don’t miss it.
Pamela Steele has written one of the best novels of the year. IN THE FIELDS OF FATHERLESS CHILDREN is both compelling and meditative, both tender and gritty, and wholly remarkable.
Beth Howard has long been one of the leaders in the fight for racial justice and for working people everywhere. I can’t wait to dive into her new book, SONG FOR A HARD-HIT PEOPLE, which comes to us just when we need it the most.
New poetry by Rebecca Gayle Howell is always cause for celebration. ERASE GENESIS is profound, powerful, thought-provoking, and deeply moving. Read it and be spellbound.
The tulip poplars are in bloom. Get out and see them while you can. They’re easy to find, just watch the ground for the fallen flowers.
My novel, THE TULIP POPLARS, comes out October 13. It’s a romance but it’s also about a man who will do anything to protect the trees—and the place—he loves.
#TheTulipPoplars
Volume up. The audio book of ALL THESE GHOSTS is now available everywhere. Read by me. And I sing one of them. Get your copy whatever you download audio. Published by Blair.
1. Got my red bandana on to celebrate May Day. Really proud to be a child of the working class. Forever grateful to the working people who make the world go around. The celebrities and politicians don’t make it happen, the workers do. Remember them on this cold May Day. Solidarity Forever. (Please overlook my messy dog-walking cardigan)
2. May Day is also generally thought of as the unofficial arrival of spring. Today I noticed that the hillside that was covered in tiger lilies a month ago (scroll down to my post showing them) is now covered in early shoots of jewelweed. The earth is always working underground, even when we don’t know it, if we just let it be. A lot like those often unseen people who are working the hardest to keep everything moving smoothly.
#MayDay
It’s getting more and more real. Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) for THE TULIP POPLARS have arrived for the media and other advance readers. The hardback releases October 13. Zoom on back cover to read jacket copy.
I wrote this book because it didn’t exist. We need more romance in our lives. We all love pining. The stories of so many haven’t been told in this way.
I thought: if Thomas Hardy was writing about sexuality and race in early 1900s-1970s Appalachia, how would it read, with influence from Hurston, Steinbeck, Morrison, and Powers drawn on as well? What if I saw it all in my mind like a film by David Lean, with notes of Jane Campion and Terrance Malick? What if it sounded like folk, country, the blues, and classical music? What if it took us to a world of lush summer greens and stark winter grays? What if rural characters weren’t only farmers, singers, and miners but also rectors, teachers, professors, and scientists, as they have been in real life? What if a mule was a character readers would be endeared to? What if I looked at the history of bigotry in my hometown? What if I tried to write some really hot sex scenes and examined faith in a new way? What if I told the story of an ancestor I never knew? What if I built it all around one grove of tulip poplars that one man will do anything to protect?
