Synopses & Reviews
What happens when two New Yorkers (one an ex-drag queen) do the unthinkable: start over, have a herd of kids, and get a little dirty?
Find out in this riotous and moving true tale of goats, mud, and a centuries-old mansion in rustic upstate New York—the new memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, author of the New York Times bestseller I Am Not Myself These Days. A happy series of accidents and a doughnut-laden escape upstate take Josh and his partner, Brent, to the doorstep of the magnificent (and fabulously for sale) Beekman Mansion. One hour and one tour later, they have begun their transformation from uptight urbanites into the two-hundred-year-old-mansion-owning Beekman Boys.
Suddenly, Josh—a full-time New Yorker with a successful advertising career—and Brent are weekend farmers, surrounded by nature's bounty and an eclectic cast: roosters who double as a wedding cover band; Bubby, the bionic cat; and a herd of eighty-eight goats, courtesy of their new caretaker, Farmer John. And soon, a fledgling business, born of a gift of handmade goat-milk soap, blossoms into a brand, Beekman 1802.
The Bucolic Plague is tart and sweet, touching and laugh out loud funny, a story about approaching middle age, being in a long-term relationship, realizing the city no longer feeds you in the same way it used to, and finding new depths of love and commitment wherever you live.
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“A hilarious memoir.” Whole Living
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“Kilmer-Purcell writes with dramatic flair and trenchant wit, uncovering mirthful metaphors as he plows through their daily experiences.” Publishers Weekly
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“Baby goats, diarrhea, and Martha Stewart. Former drag queen turned goat farmer Josh Kilmer-Purcell begins his latest book, The Bucolic Plague, with a hilarious vignette involving all three. Clearly, the man has an interesting story to tell.” Wisconsin State Journal
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“Enter 60 goats and homemade soap, apple-picking and an heirloom vegetable garden. Hilarity follows. And trouble. But lets not spoil the party. Its fun.” USA Today
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“Side-splitting.” Wall Street Journal
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“My Amtrak seat mate in the Quiet Car, a complete stranger, insisted that I read out loud the scene -- a goat in labor -- that was making me laugh so hard I was crying. . . . Kilmer-Purcells book is manically funny, sweetly open and trusting, and slick and snarky.” New York Times Book Review
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“The Bucolic Plague has something different to offerif we can do it anyone can, it tells us, provided we can laugh at ourselves.” Los Angeles Times Book Review
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“The witty new memoir from Josh Kilmer-Purcell.” Food & Wine, Online Review
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“This particular merging of city and country is both sweet and savory.” Kirkus Reviews
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“Kilmer-Purcell fertilizes this narrative until it reeks of charm.” New York Times
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“I gobbled up this book like…well, like goat cheese on a cracker. Kilmer-Purcells genius lies in his ability to blindside the reader with heart-wrenching truths in the midst of the most outlandish scenarios. He makes you laugh until you care.” Armistead Maupin
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“I adore the Beekman boys story. Their unlikely story of love, the land, and a herd of goats is hilariously honest. If these two can go from Manhattan to a goat farm in upstate New York, then I cant help feeling there is hope for us all.” Alice Waters
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“Always entertaining and often moving.” The Stranger (Seattle)
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“A delicious book about two city boys who buy a farm, fall in love with a herd of goats, and attempt to revive the American dream. . . . Never has mucking out a stall been more scintillating!” Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals
Synopsis
Tart and sweet, touching and laugh-out-loud funny, "The Bucolic Plague I> shows what happens when two middle-aged New Yorkers (one, an ex-drag queen) do the unthinkable: start over, have a herd of kids (the four-legged kind), and get a little dirty.
Synopsis
What happens when two New Yorkers (one an ex drag queen) do the unthinkable: start over, have a herd of kids, and get a little dirty?
Find out in this riotous and moving true tale of goats, mud, and a centuries-old mansion in rustic upstate New York the new memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell,
Synopsis
"Michael Perry meets David Sedaris in this follow-up to Josh Kilmer-Purcell's beloved and bestselling debut memoir, I AM NOT MYSELF THESE DAYS--another riotous, moving, and entirely unique story of his attempt to tackle the next phase of life with his partner on a goat farm in upstate New York"--Provided by publisher.
About the Author
In the 1990s Josh Kilmer-Purcell was a world-renowned drag queen by night and an award-winning advertising creative by day. He is the author of a popular monthly column for Out magazine and a screenplay based on his bestselling memoir, I Am Not Myself These Days. Kilmer-Purcell and his partner divide their time between Manhattan and a goat farm in upstate New York.