Joseph Fulkerson has written his first novella, “East Jesus Nowhere,” which follows the story of Jimmy Lane as he navigates life in the middle of nowhere. It’s loosely inspired by tales of Owensboro.
The story picks up with Jimmy Lane, or Jimbo, as he tries to reconnect with some people after experiencing enjoyable yet unplanned events — such as late nights that lead to hangovers, relationships, and camaraderie, all following a divorce.
“It’s humorous; obviously, it can be tongue in cheek. There’s a throughline of him trying to find his way after getting divorced and him trying to find a place. He ends up finding a place, a little hole-in-the-wall bar,” Fulkerson said.
While he said the book is not based on his or any one person’s specific experiences, Fulkerson said it does paint some imagery of his hometown of Owensboro — although the setting is a “nowhere” town.
Fulkerson said the story has a high presence of religion, which he said is important to many people in both Owensboro and the fictional town in his book. He uses religion to bring attention to some issues that he feels are in the community.
“It’s just that some of the sensibilities [of Owensboro and this town] are inculcated and funny,” he said.
Fulkerson is an experienced author but has largely only published poetry and haikus. This is his first novella-length book.
He’s already eager to work on more stories.
“I learned a lot from this one and can’t wait to start again. I’ve already got another idea for another story,” Fulkerson said.
He said there will be a book tour for the “East Jesus Nowhere,” which will be available for purchase on September 1. For more information, click here.
