The High Road

Tommy Zurhellen is the author of the award-winning Messiah Trilogy of novels, which reimagine the life of Jesus in modern-day rural America: Nazareth, North Dakota (2011), Apostle Islands (2012), and Armageddon, Texas (2014), all from Atticus Books. His memoir The Low Road: Walking the Walk for Veterans (2021) follows his solo trek across America in the summer of 2019 to raise awareness on veteran suicide and homelessness. His short stories have appeared widely in Carolina Quarterly, Passages North, Crab Creek Review, Quarterly West, and elsewhere. Since 2019, Tommy has delivered a weekly veterans update as "Commander Tom" on 101.5FM WPDH with the Boris & Robyn Show, and he has also appeared regularly on 100.1FM WDST Radio Woodstock with his friend Greg Gattine. He served honorably in the United States Navy as a Nuclear Electrician onboard the USS Truxtun and USS California. With the help of the G.I. Bill, he received his M.F.A. from the University of Alabama and has taught Creative Writing at Marist College for the past twenty years. The High Road is his second memoir.