“… Merzer’s electrifying debut novel…” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Glen Merzer’s Off the Reservation is as politically savvy and poetically literate a book as I have read in a long while. It is a completely gorgeous and rewarding experience.” —Jason Alexander, Actor.
“The book is called Off The Reservation, but it’s 100% On The Money about how far removed political discourse has strayed from reality. With unparalleled wit and insight, Glen Merzer dispatches one Evan Gorgoni to go forth and speak the truth to a weary nation, and the result is one of the best reads I’ve had in years. I loved it!”
—Ed Begley, Jr., Actor/Environmental Activist
“I literally couldn’t put down this superbly-written book once I began to read. Why? Because Off the Reservation is wildly entertaining and deeply inspiring. And because I laughed out loud so many times I lost count. What a fabulous, powerful, meaningful book!”
—John Robbins, author, Diet For A New America, and Co-founder, foodrevolution.org
“Off the Reservation is a brilliant and incisive novel. Glen Merzer has given us an insightful look at the current state of presidential politics, and in a wonderfully entertaining way. Well-written, sharp, and full of wit, this is exactly the book for our times.” –Dr. Neal Barnard, author, Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes
“Off the Reservation is the best book I’ve ever read!”
—Howard F. Lyman, author, Mad Cowboy
“Glen Merzer’s Off the Reservation is a masterpiece of wit and relevance. Twenty-first century America is portrayed here in the language of politics—an unlikely feat but a convincing one, thanks to Merzer’s keen eye for both straight facts and tortuous contradictions. Intelligent, relevant, up-to-date, and unwavering, Merzer’s fictional analysis gets to the heart and soul of American society today. I confidently predict that anyone who has the good fortune to read this book will treasure the experience.”
—Philip Appleman, poet and novelist
On the verge of retirement, a straight-talking U.S. congressman campaigns for president in this fast-paced, wryly comic, and vastly satisfying political satire.
Just weeks after announcing he wouldn’t be seeking re-election, Congressman Evan Gorgoni of Indiana finds himself thrust back into the national spotlight after his frank and defeatist appearance on Meet The Press. “Truth is…there are too many people in the world,” he says. “If civilization keeps procreating this way, we’re doomed.” Refreshed by his realist approach, the media starts floating his name for a presidential bid. The Democratic senator ignores the hype—he’s enjoying retirement—until meeting his would-be contenders. “If I don’t run,” he tells Monty Berg, his quick-witted campaign manager, “the country’s going to choose between another cynical tax-cutter, and Nate Poston. Who has never met a question he couldn’t dodge.” With the help of Monty, he wins the Democratic primary and spends the rest of Merzer’s electrifying debut novel running against his Republican opponent, Gov. Malcolm Benneton, on a loose platform of population control and environmental sustainability. Refusing to prepare speeches, Gorgoni eschews grand promises and often loses himself in tangents.
“My fellow Americans, I say to you with deep conviction in my soul, let us do away, totally, irreversibly, and permanently, with the leaf blower,” he says during his acceptance speech. Using real names of contemporary figures and writing with a keen eye for the absurdities of the American political system, Merzer offers a story of brash realism in an age of congressional gridlock. While most left-leaning readers will cheer for Gorgoni, many conservatives will likely find the novel dismissive of their ideology. Nevertheless, the author writes with a steady pen, and he rarely misses the opportunity for a joke. Whatever their politics, readers will chuckle at this systemwide sendup.
A witty, winking political novel sure to satisfy liberals in an age of extreme partisanship.
– Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Is the country ready for its first vegan President?
In a narrative rich in humor and uproarious dialogue, Off the Reservation explores modern presidential politics and whether honesty can find a place within it. Congressman Evan Gorgoni of Bloomington, IN, has served eight terms in a dysfunctional Congress and reached his limits of frustration. A medical event brings on the epiphany that there is no point in continuing to serve.
But his frank expression, on Meet the Press, of his rationale for ending his political career is met with the unbidden call that he seek the White House—an unlikely destination for a vegan Congressman with a disdain for political posturing.
If he’s going to do it, he’s going to do it as no one has done it before…
Featuring 20 vegan recipes and a solution to America’s Electoral College problem, Off the Reservation is an original take on the art of the possible.
About Glen Merzer
Glen Merzer is a playwright, screenwriter, and author. He is co-author, with Howard Lyman, of Mad Cowboy and No More Bull!; with Pam Popper, of Food Over Medicine; with Chef AJ, of Unprocessed; and with Chef Del Sroufe, of Better Than Vegan. Along with Eric Brent, he edited The HappyCow Cookbook. Off the Reservation is Merzer’s first novel.
Merzer has been a vegetarian for over 40 years and a vegan for the last 20 years. All of his books have some connection with the wise decision he made at the age of 17 to renounce meat.
Merzer’s latest project is a screen adaptation of Mad Cowboy.
About Vivid Thoughts Press:
Glen Merzer’s Off The Reservation is the debut novel from Vivid Thoughts Press. Vivid Thoughts Press embraces the changes that have upended the publishing world.
Most importantly, they are advocates of authors, and believe that, in the main, authors were rarely compensated fairly by traditional publishing companies, and have more exciting opportunities in the rapidly evolving present. Learn more at VividThoughtsPress.com.
