The Midwest leg of the American Mythology book tour kicks off next weekend! First up will be a panel with Maud Lavin at the legendary Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago on Saturday, September 6 at 5:00. Next will be a joint appearance at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on September 9 at 6:30. This event will be to help launch my friend Erin Craig‘s fantastic new book, A Land So Wide, so we’ll be talking about all the spooky creatures that sneak around the forests at night. Last up will be a panel discussion at the Luther College Writers Fest in Decorah, Iowa, where I’ll be appearing on a panel at 9:15 AM on Saturday September 13. If you happen to be in one of those cities, stop on by to get your copy of American Mythology signed!

I had the honor of speaking with one of the true OG's of the podcast world: Jim Harold. I joined Jim on The Paranormal Podcast where we talked about Bigfoot, mythology, belief, and allowing yourself to admit there are things we don't know. The audio is available on all podcast platforms, but I've embedded the YouTube video below. Enjoy!

I'm thrilled to announce that the NW Book Lovers published an essay I wrote entitled: "The Tao of Bigfoot." I don't write a lot of nonfiction, so this one felt like a big swing for me. And it wound up being one of the most personal pieces of writing I've ever produced. In it, I talk about believing in Bigfoot and how being a seeker can help us have a better presence in the world.

Here's my favorite quote from the piece: 
The Zen practice of koan meditation asks the student to focus on a paradoxical idea that has no solution. Focusing on a single koan encourages the practitioner to release their attachment to logical understanding, and instead embrace intuitive insight. By breaking out of this preconditioned thought pattern, it is said that the student awakens to the true nature of reality.
For me, the search for Bigfoot is my own personal koan. It helps me step outside the daily grind of emails and Slacks and alerts and notifications. It’s a reminder that real meaning can be found in the things we haven’t figured out.

Many thanks to the NW Book Lovers for giving this little piece a lovely home. If you'd like to read the whole piece, you can follow this link.

Last week I was thrilled when CrimeReads published a piece I wrote called "Essential Reading for the Bigfoot-Curious." In it, I talked about five books that can help those who are uninitiated in all things Bigfoot get themselves up to speed. The books I recommend are: 

1. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
   
2. Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend by Joshua Bu Bluhs
   
3. Raincoast Sasquatch by J. Robert Alley
   
4. Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide by Robert Michael Pyle
   
5. The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster by John O’Connor
   

Click this link to see my full commentary on each of them, and on the concept of Bigfoot in the literary space.  

It's been over a week since American Mythology was born into the world. The past ten days have been a blur so I'm just now catching up on everything. First off, a bunch of podcasts all dropped near or around launch day. Each one gave me a chance to talk about books and Bigfoot and belief and friendship and a thousand other great things. Where possible, I'm posting the Spotify links here, but you can listen to them on any podcast platform of your choosing (and a few are video podcasts on YouTube as well). Here's the rundown:

All Things Unexplained: Talking with Dr. Mounce and Smitty as part of their live broadcast on YouTube was a hoot. In addition to some high-level Bigfoot talk, they really appreciated the larger themes of the book itself. At several points they brought up ideas I hadn't considered before. This episode is right now only available on YouTube, but it will drop as an audio podcast on all other platforms soon.

Bubbles and Books: Getting to talk with Ellyn and Amanda was a true joy! They are two best friends and co-owners the legendary bookstore Dogeared Books in Ames, Iowa. They're also giant Bigfoot fans, so needless to say, they were ready to throw down when it came to American Mythology. Listen below:

The Inside Flap: Based out of Littleton, Colorado, it was a treat to speak with some fellow westerners about the book. Dave and Laura were great hosts, asking tough questions about some of their favorite parts of the novel. We also talked about woodworking, scopaesthesia, and life in the great Rocky Mountains. Listen below:

This Podcast Will Change Your Life: Any time I get to chat with the inimitable Ben Tanzer is a treat. But this podcast marks my fifth appearance on his podcast. And, as is our usual custom, it was recorded after a couple cocktails while we walked along Division Avenue in Chicago. Ben is an insightful reader and a deeply intelligent interviewer. And we've been doing it enough, long-time listeners to his pod will recognize some familiar themes we seem to always come back to. 

uNcomfortable Podast: Erick was a fantastic host! At the top he told me how he doesn't usually read a lot of fiction, but American Mythology hooked him from the start! And, man, did he have some great questions. We really cut to the heart of what it means to believe, how how those beliefs can provide meaning in our lives. This one is out as audio on all platforms as well, but I'm posting the YouTube link below:

Huge thanks to all the folks who invited me onto their podcasts! I've enjoyed it so much. There'll be a few more podcasts trickling out over the next couple weeks, so stay tuned here and I'll be sure to post links.

I'll be a guest on this week's live broadcast of the All Things Unexplained podcast, the evening of July 21, at 8:00 PM Central time. We'll be talking Bigfoot and American Mythology. Plus, there'll be an audience Q&A where you can ask me all about it. Click this link, and join in the fun!

The good folks at Doubleday have finalized the book tour I’ll be embarking on in support of American Mythology. Here’s the rundown:

As you can see, the events will mostly be Chicago/Midwest-centric, along with a couple great events on my home turf in Montana. If you happen to be around for any of these, it sure would be great to see some friendly faces in the crowd!