New Book:

Posted byjimmcgarrahPosted inLiterary

My newest book, a collection of some of the favorite magazine essays I’ve written over the last several years, is now available. This book may not make you any wiser, but you may enjoy some of the material in it. Like the author, it’s fairly cheap and not too smart, but it’s fun. You can find it for sale on Amazon, or by order. Just don’t confuse it with Charlie Daniels’ memoir. I need the money more than he does.

Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye: (Episodes in a Messy Life) Paperback – November 7, 2023

by Jim McGarrah (Author)

Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye is a captivating collection of prose and a meditative
reflection on rituals of Americana. Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as the
timeless traditions of baseball and the ramshackle rhythms of horse racing tracks, Jim
McGarrah examines his roots in small-town Indiana, his young adult adventures in the
jungle battlefields of Viet Nam, and a retiree’s firm stand for justice on the cold plains of
North Dakota for examples of the greater meanings and lessons of life. Through poetic
reflection and sharp wit, he weaves a tapestry of contemplation and revelation. With each
turn of the page, McGarrah’s words reveal a panorama of emotions and experiences,
inviting readers to embark on their own journey of self-reflection and discovery.

Dr. Erin McCoy, author of A War Tour of Vietnam


Jim McGarrah’s newest of a dozen books, Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye, is collection of essays written with intelligence and humility. He takes his memories and experiences and brings his words to life through sensory descriptions; the reader not only sees but hears, smells, feels, and tastes the action in the essays. He also infuses the reader with a good dose of humor even when writing about serious topics. McGarrah shares life lessons and ponders questions none of us may ever know the answers to, but he ultimately leaves the reader with hope.

Robin Wright, author of Ready or Not


If you want erudite social commentary, seek out a writer with a bunch of initials after his last name, But, if you want to learn about the human condition from someone who has “lived, truly lived” through the angst and beauty of it all, read this pearl of collected nuggets, called Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye. It is full of stories about his life, from the fetid trenches of Vietnam and drunken frat parties to horse trainer and college professor. His life has been a Hemingwayesque adventure, full of New Orleans street gutters and unfastened southern Indiana brassieres, sniper deaths and bar tabs. Unlike most autobiographic memoirs, Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye sprints away from swagger and focuses on the real worth and importance of lives in our time.

Tom Watson, author, and adj. professor of writing at Indiana University

Published by jimmcgarrah

Every single person on this planet is unique in many ways and yet, most people consider themselves normal (i.e. conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected). This dichotomy is how good writing works. It contains uniqueness in the characters or narrator and a normal progression of ideas in themes. Thus, a story will be appealing if it has unique specificity in a normalized world of some kind and that creates a universal connection between writer and reader. This symbiotic connection as an oxymoron, normal uniqueness, has always fascinated me, not only on the page but more importantly, in life. Over the past twenty years I have written a dozen books. None have made me famous or rich, but I am proud of the work. It has been published by respectable literary and university presses. My editors have been talented and conscientious and brought the best of what I do to the page. But publishing is not all of my writing life. I have long wanted a private space where I could more fully express this exploration between individuality and society normalcy without regard to the business of writing, the correction of images, the political implication of phrases, and while considering there might be an audience to some of what is written, not worrying about whether it would sell. Therefore, I give you my very first and likely last, public blog. It will explore whatever I feel like exploring at a given time in whatever form I choose—maybe a poem, maybe an essay, maybe a story, or possibly a simple “fuck you” to the world. Read at your own peril and comment whenever you want. I encourage dialogue as a learning tool for writer and reader alike. I do not expect agreement with all my ideas. That would eliminate the entire uniqueness side of my inquiry. This is a free space for us all.

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