The Coming Civil War in America

Book 2 outsold Book 1, and now I’ve finished writing Book 3 of my three-book series. The greatest challenge in writing a book is finding the time—and finding that time at the right time of day. Like most writers, I prioritize my efforts by bellying up to the keyboard first thing in the morning. And so, after a mere four months, another manuscript is finished. It should be noted that four months is the shortest time in which I have written a book. I don’t know if I’m getting better, but I am definitely getting faster.

So, what’s book 3 about?

Titled “Protopia,” it continues the journey of Diana and Gabrielle. Finding themselves in Wyoming during a pitched battle between two communities—one utopian, one dystopian—they must find a third way. No spoilers here. Suffice it to say it ain’t easy.

By placing two diametrically different villages in one valley in the nation’s least populous state, I hope to direct the reader’s attention to how flawed both approaches are and how our sense of common cause is undermined by leaders who cater to extremes rather than to the vast majority in the middle.

Many voices—from the extreme left and right—forecast a coming civil war in America. I think that’s very unlikely. Despite the coarseness of political discourse and the actions of a small minority of crazies, life is pretty good for most Americans. Preserving that lifestyle is paramount for most of us and our politicians. More likely, middle-class America, however frustrated we may be with national politics, will continue to focus on raising our children in a safe environment, enjoying our suburban lifestyle, and obsessing over our favorite NFL team.

And yet, there are elements in this great country that would undermine or overthrow the system that provides us with the most prosperous economy in history. Writing in Vanity Fair in February 2023, James Pogue writes of conservatives fleeing big coastal cities to hide out in Jackson Hole. These so-called conservatives view “the corporate elite as enemies of America and believe that we’re on the cusp of a populist uprising against the brand of transnational capitalism championed by Republicans for most of the last half-century.”

Examining the other extreme, Mary Harrington provides the reasons “Why Utopias Always Fail.” In a brief essay on the British website Unherd.com, she writes about the prospective establishment of a socialist utopian community called Black Hammer, “a group that describes itself as ‘dedicated toward building a sustainable future for all colonised people worldwide.’” The group has acquired land in Colorado to test the theory.

It might be fun to see how this plays out from afar, so long as it doesn’t spread like coronavirus.

As for how this affects Diana and Gabrielle, you’ll have to read the book to find out.