A novel by John Matthew Gillen

American Blasphemer

the war for one man's soul

American Blasphemer book cover

The story of a lovesick writer named John who moves to NYC to escape his dysfunctional family after getting dumped by his girlfriend.

Written in the tradition of Denis Johnson, Charles Bukowski, and Hunter S. Thompson, each chapter delivers new characters and unforgettable experiences: a knife fight with a sex addict, a psychedelic family Christmas, a Cathedral burning in Manhattan, a midnight visit to Elvis's grave, and more. This harrowing journey through American carnage culminates in a showdown with a tattooed witch and warlock who try to get John to join their coven after meeting him at a concert in Times Square.

In its account of the war for one man's soul, American Blasphemer offers a poetic, brutal, yet authentic portrait of a deeply troubled nation entering its second bout with the Roaring Twenties.

#1 Kindle debut · American Literary Fiction
“Deeply human and totally absurd… an unstoppable read.”Metropolitan Magazine
“A masterful labour of modern honesty, told through the lens of a lonesome soul trying to figure out this world and life…”Goodreads review

Published May 2020 by Epigraph Publishing. Paperback, ebook, and audiobook.


Interview

The Authors Show

John talks about writing American Blasphemer (January 2021).