Find and Share Events with Friends 🥳
x
Tomorrow, the War with Max Watman promotional image
Company Profile Image

Tomorrow, the War with Max Watman

Discussion Community Club Literature

What’s Happening?

Join us as we welcome Fountain Friend Max in conversation with local artist Ed Trask at the store!

About the Book:
Tomorrow, The War is a sweeping historical epic that follows the intertwined lives of Jed Stokes, a restless wanderer shaped by violence, and Raleigh, a once-enslaved man seeking justice. After fleeing his troubled Jewish family in Virginia, Jed is drawn into the Mexican-American War before becoming a drifter, outlaw, and buffalo hunter in the untamed West.

Meanwhile, Oliver Bodkin VII, heir to a failing Virginia plantation, attempts a radical experiment—raising his enslaved half-siblings, Temple and Raleigh, as equals. But their idyllic existence is shattered when outraged neighbors burn their home, killing Oliver and forcing Raleigh to flee. Believing Temple dead, he survives as an itinerant musician—until he discovers that his sister is enslaved once more under a cruel master. Teaming up with Jed, Raleigh stages a daring return to Virginia, leading to a heart-pounding rescue mission on the eve of the American Civil War.

Perfect for fans of historical fiction and Tarantino-style action, Tomorrow, The War is a gripping tale of survival, rebellion, chutzpah, and redemption.

About the Author:
Max Watman, who was raised in the Shenandoah Valley, completed his undergraduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and went on to earn an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. Watman authored several books, including Race Day (Ivan R. Dee, 2005), Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw’s Adventures in Moonshine (Simon and Schuster, 2010), and Harvest: Field Notes from a Far Flung Pursuit of Real Food (W.W. Norton, 2014) to great acclaim. Besides being a well-regarded writer of the South and a teacher at Virginia Commonwealth University, Watman has also worked as a farmer, a silversmith, a tutor, a greenskeeper, a warehouseman, a cook, and a musician. Tomorrow, the War is his first novel.

Ed Trask is a musician, painter, and muralist whose work has been collected into many permanent collections. Trask earned a BFA in Painting & Printmaking from VCU and while in school, he transformed many of the dilapidated buildings around Richmond City into his very own art gallery through painted murals. After graduating in 1992, he continued painting illegal murals around the world while on tour with different punk rock bands and friends. Trask has since become involved with bringing creative changes to Richmond and other cities through public art. He co-founded the RVA Street Art Festival and served as a commissioner for Richmond’s Public Art Commission. He is a past board member of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and has lectured and facilitated creative consulting programs for numerous corporations while working with community nonprofits to bring creative, inclusive public art throughout the city. Ed Trasks’ paintings and murals appear in many permanent collections, including the Modern & Contemporary Art Collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Ed lives in Richmond VA with his wife and two children.

Withfriends believes in building financial resilience for indie bookstores through community support.

Join us as we welcome Fountain Friend Max in conversation with local artist Ed Trask at the store!

About the Book:
Tomorrow, The War is a sweeping historical epic that follows the intertwined lives of Jed Stokes, a restless wanderer shaped by violence, and Raleigh, a once-enslaved man seeking justice. After fleeing his troubled Jewish family in Virginia, Jed is drawn into the Mexican-American War before becoming a drifter, outlaw, and buffalo hunter in the untamed West.

Meanwhile, Oliver Bodkin VII, heir to a failing Virginia plantation, attempts a radical experiment—raising his enslaved half-siblings, Temple and Raleigh, as equals. But their idyllic existence is shattered when outraged neighbors burn their home, killing Oliver and forcing Raleigh to flee. Believing Temple dead, he survives as an itinerant musician—until he discovers that his sister is enslaved once more under a cruel master. Teaming up with Jed, Raleigh stages a daring return to Virginia, leading to a heart-pounding rescue mission on the eve of the American Civil War.

Perfect for fans of historical fiction and Tarantino-style action, Tomorrow, The War is a gripping tale of survival, rebellion, chutzpah, and redemption.

About the Author:
Max Watman, who was raised in the Shenandoah Valley, completed his undergraduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and went on to earn an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. Watman authored several books, including Race Day (Ivan R. Dee, 2005), Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw’s Adventures in Moonshine (Simon and Schuster, 2010), and Harvest: Field Notes from a Far Flung Pursuit of Real Food (W.W. Norton, 2014) to great acclaim. Besides being a well-regarded writer of the South and a teacher at Virginia Commonwealth University, Watman has also worked as a farmer, a silversmith, a tutor, a greenskeeper, a warehouseman, a cook, and a musician. Tomorrow, the War is his first novel.

Ed Trask is a musician, painter, and muralist whose work has been collected into many permanent collections. Trask earned a BFA in Painting & Printmaking from VCU and while in school, he transformed many of the dilapidated buildings around Richmond City into his very own art gallery through painted murals. After graduating in 1992, he continued painting illegal murals around the world while on tour with different punk rock bands and friends. Trask has since become involved with bringing creative changes to Richmond and other cities through public art. He co-founded the RVA Street Art Festival and served as a commissioner for Richmond’s Public Art Commission. He is a past board member of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and has lectured and facilitated creative consulting programs for numerous corporations while working with community nonprofits to bring creative, inclusive public art throughout the city. Ed Trasks’ paintings and murals appear in many permanent collections, including the Modern & Contemporary Art Collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Ed lives in Richmond VA with his wife and two children.

Withfriends believes in building financial resilience for indie bookstores through community support.

More about Fountain Bookstore
Established in 1978, Fountain is an independent bookstore that hosts tons of author events, book clubs, and other programming. The quirkiest, heartwarmingest bookstore on the planet!
When & Where
Jan 6, 2026, 6:00pm to 7:00pm Timezone: EST
Free


More events from Fountain Bookstore