How You Can Help

Preorder my novel, if you haven't already

To the detriment of my wallet, I don’t paywall all that much at this Substack, Political Currents. I will, from time to time, but my heart just isn’t in it. I like people reading what I write. I don’t enjoy taking anyone’s money. I’m not ending paywalls, by any means, but my goal is to keep a good deal of the writing I do for all 22,300 of you free.

I’ve got several ideas for big essays that I think you’ll like. Right now, I’m at work on a larger project that has taken time away from this Substack and I hope to finish that project in the spring. I’ll have more to say on that soon.

In the meantime, on April 28th, my new novel, Colossus, will be published. It’s about a pastor in the Midwest who harbors a dark secret, and I’m told it’s got shades of Roth, Updike, and Richard Ford. Library Journal calls it a “challenging portrait of a thoroughly modern man” and the writer Matthew Specktor, one of the best out there, has said it is “a broad interrogation of the American psyche in its myriad conflicting parts. The result is masterful, as thrillingly devious—and as brilliantly controlled—as Philip Roth’s The Counterlife.”

If you enjoyed Glass Century, you’ll really like Colossus. It’s shorter, but no less ambitious. I view as part of a loosely planned trilogy interrogating the American condition. Colossus is set in the 2020s, and grapples with our current mood.

Ok, so here’s the deal. If you find yourself enjoying this newsletter, you should preorder my novel. Preorders are incredibly important for a writer. If I get more preorders, more bookstores take my book and more reviewers will start to care about it. The momentum starts here.

Get it from Bookshop, get it from Barnes & Noble, get it from the publisher’s website, order through your local bookstore or, if you gotta, head to Amazon.

If you’ve preordered already, ignore me. If not, please do it now.

If you’re a reader of fiction, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re not, I think you’ll be hooked anyway. At the minimum, ordering the book is a nice and cheap way to support me, assuming you’re reading this Substack for free. A hardcover, after shipping, is still running you under $40. An annual subscription here is $60. Order a book and help make my livelihood possible.

In early May, I’m going to have a big launch party in New York. I also plan a mini-tour. If you’re interested in hosting me or having an event, get in touch. Just reply to this email.

See you soon! (And buy Colossus)