"In the throes of an existential crisis, a middle-aged web developer renounces his humdrum life in Portland, Ore., and embarks on a cross-country trip, finding love, meaning and a new life on the coast of Maine."
--New York Times, "Newly Published"

"Like his indie lit peer Scott McClanahan, Maloney's writing is deeply indebted to Vonnegut's mix of heartbreak and humor, but The Red-Headed Pilgrim's emulation of Slaughterhouse-Five's opening chapter isn't just for show; its placement points to the central question of the book: Is it possible to separate your own narrative from the ones you discovered in your formative years?"
--Kevin M. Kearney, The Millions
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"Despite how often he screws up, you just can't help pulling for him. The Red Headed Pilgrim is one of the funniest and fastest flying books you could ever read and may just appeal to the repressed Jack Kerouac living secretly inside of you."
--Tony Alcantara of Explore Booksellers, The Colorado Sun
"What Explore Booksellers suggests for your March reading list"

The Red-Headed Pilgrim included in coming out, "NEW ENGLAND LITERARY NEWS"
--Nina MacLaughlin, The Boston Globe (January 19, 2023)

"Maloney's revisionist treatment of Western themes make The Red-Headed Pilgrim the offspring (dare I say red-headed step-child?) of the Acid Western genre. And I don't believe it's overly generous to say that The Red-Headed Pilgrim is the next iteration of the Western, one with enough music and heart to propel the genre into the twenty-first century and beyond."
--Nick Gardner, Cleveland Review of Books
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

The Red-Headed Pilgrim is one of "19 New Books to Get at Your Local Indie Right Now"
--Katie Yee, Lit Hub

"Infinitely quotable, the book draws comparisons to the aforementioned Richard Brautigan, Denis Johnson, and other bards of the down-and-outer... [The] sad-sack portions are laugh-out-loud funny, as bad as you feel for the novel's narrator. Despite the pilgrim's goofiness, the stakes are clear, and he truly wants to be a good father. His earnestness makes every setback all the more heartbreaking... Maloney's novel cuts out the past twelve years of his life as an office drone. The important parts are the years when he was young. Making mistakes. Foolishly trying to achieve an impossible enlightenment. Those are the parts ripe for a novel, at least. Those really were the days. Burning so bright."
--Zachary Kocanda, Heavy Feather Review
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

Author Kevin Maloney shares five works that set The Red-Headed Pilgrim on its path.
"Influences" Series at Library of America: Kevin Maloney 2/13/2023

"...how does a person exist in the fringe of society while still tending to one's own responsibilities? ... The Red-Headed Pilgrim embodies much of the same questions and themes found in Kerouac, Thoreau, and Whitman, yet it also feels wholly unique and of this time. It is full of suffering and beauty, and it lurches towards truth in its haphazard way that feels a lot like life. It is a book about yearning--for love, for art, for a different kind of life, for spirituality, and, ultimately, for a sense of one's identity."
--Shelby Hinte, Write or Die Magazine
Interview: "Kevin Maloney: On Writing with a Day Job, Parenthood, How Twitter Made Him a Better Editor, and His Novel 'The Red-Headed Pilgrim'"

"It's hard to write an honest book. It's even harder to write an honest book that is charming, hilarious and doesn't make the author sound like a crusty, tower-dwelling sage. If the character Kevin Maloney were a Tarot card, he would be The Fool, card zero, the starry-eyed hero on the first step of his beautiful, terrifying journey, the whole of life unspooling before him in an endless cosmic thread. Cross Tom Robbins with Richard Brautigan with Evelyn Waugh, add a touch of Umberto Eco, and you have the writer Kevin Maloney, one of the last remaining holy fools willing to undergo a soul's journey and write about it, honestly and ecstatically, with no moralistic lesson save one: the lesson is the journey, and we don't have a lot of time. It's worth it."
--Mila Jaroniec, Southwest Review
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"Somewhere between the hysterical realism of Zadie Smith and the sexy, witty misfits of a Tom Robbins novel."
--Brock Kingsley, Chicago Review of Books
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"A hilarious book, but one that deals with some serious themes."
--Michael Schaub, Orange County Register
Interview: "How Kevin Maloney's 'half-true' adventures became 'The Red-Headed Pilgrim'"

"While Red-Headed Pilgrim is undoubtedly a funny book, it's a weighty one, too, carrying an emotional heft that Maloney traced in part to becoming a father in his mid-20s."
--Andy Downing, Matter News
Interview: "Kevin Maloney finally finds himself right where he wants to be"

"Maloney writes humor so effortlessly that you forget how hard it is to do it effectively... It has moments that break our hearts as we witness Kevin Maloney sink into the lowest parts of his life. Because we've laughed with him, we can now root even harder for him to crawl out of it... This story is an authentic look at what it means to be human and to feel, whether that's complete despair or incredible elation."
--Joseph Edwin Haeger, Thirty West
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"Promises a rollercoaster of laughs. The Red-Headed Pilgrim follows a middle-aged wreck whose web development job in Portland propels his existential crisis. From 'angst-ridden Beaverton to the beaches of San Diego, ' our unlikely hero embarks on a strange series of misadventures."
--EverOut Portland

In conversation with hosts Alex Higley and Lindsay Hunter on I'm a Writer But, Kevin Maloney, author of The Red-Headed Pilgrim talks about fictionalizing his own life, writing about sex, writing a book that was "like On the Road combined with Napoleon Dynamite."
Interview: I'm a Writer But Podcast: Kevin Maloney interview

"Tender and uproarious... Maloney writes in a casual, self-deprecating style, befitting the swapping of stories across a bar top or kitchen table. Possessing a keen eye for detail, his prose is jam-packed with memorable characters who pop off the page and can't help but make the wrong choice, time and time again."
--Sheldon Birnie, Winnipeg Free Press
(Read the full review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"Even while describing some emotionally devastating things, there are funny lines in just about every paragraph. Which doesn't seem to lessen the emotional impact when things get really bad for our mishap-prone hero, or when the miraculous unexpectedly makes an appearance... The writer has enough distance from his younger self to recognize his youthful foibles and ridiculousness, while also recalling that the things that he was clumsily searching for back then--meaning, purpose, love, art, and miracles--actually do matter, a lot more than the security and predictability most of us eventually settle for. We should probably keep room in our lives to make mistakes."
--Rufus Hickok, Ordinary Times
(Read the full review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

Episode 810: Kevin Maloney on Otherppl with Brad Listi Podcast: Interview and a reading from Kevin Maloney, author of The Red-Headed Pilgrim. Watch on YouTube:

"This week, host Jason Jefferies is joined by Kevin Maloney, author of The Red-Headed Pilgrim, which is published by our friends at Two Dollar Radio. Topics of conversation include the line between fact and fiction, the fear of routine in adulthood, virginity and sex, Howl, Robotussin-induced spirit journeys, Pearl Jam vs. Sufjan Stevens, wanderlust, and much more."
--Jason Jefferies interviews Kevin Maloney, 'Bookin' Podcast'

'The Lives of Writers Podcast' -- Podcast Interview with Michael Wheaton
"Michael talks with Kevin Maloney about getting married to the same person a few times, working as a web developer for about fifteen years, looking to dead writers for a way to live, interest in Eastern philosophy and the doomed quest to jump to wisdom, writing with a true voice and sense of humor, The Red-Headed Pilgrim, learning from plotless work to write a book with a plot, the comic giving way to sadness, writing a really good middle, blending the autobiographical and the fictional, seeking the maybe impossible path to spiritual being, and more."

"[The Red-Headed Pilgrim] by the Portland, Oregon-based author, published by Two Dollar Radio, features a hero who shares the author's name and bounces around the United States from childhood through his early 40s."
--Erica Thompson, Columbus Dispatch
"Author to share 'sharp wit' of new novel"

'I'm Just Here to Not Get Fined' --T.L. States, Words & Sports Interview with Kevin Maloney: "We corresponded over Twitter DMs last summer, in July and August, so you'll catch glimpses of things that were still to come, but have now passed us by. Kevin is a deeply personal writer, and a thoughtful conversationalist. We get into a little Denis Johnson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, living in a state of awe and appreciation, and crying. And other things. Many other things."

"Kevin Maloney is always good for a laugh, a wrench, and a rollercoaster ride--in his latest novel, which Chelsea Martin calls 'a beautiful ode to being a fucked up pathetic virgin' (amazing) a web developer named Kevin Maloney recalls the teenage suburban psychological break/awakening that let him on a long journey to a complicated adulthood. I expect a very good trip."
--Emily Temple, LitHub, "Most Anticipated Books of 2023"

"The narrator of this novel seeks happiness and enlightenment.... The method by which he goes about finding them, though -- well, that's where things get especially interesting."
--Vol. 1 Brooklyn, "January 2023 Book Preview"

'5 Writers, 7 Questions, No Wrong Answers' -- LitHub Interview with Teddy Wayne:
Teddy Wayne interviews Kevin Maloney--author of The Red-Headed Pilgrim--along with Kashana Cauley, Nyani Nkrumah, Jason Roeder, and Daniel Torday for Lit Hub. Topics of discussion include influences, the complications of the term "autofiction," alternative careers to writing, and more!

"A web developer embarks on a journey of enlightenment and indulgence to find out who he really is. A new release from the wonderful indie press Two Dollar Radio."
--Liberty Hardy, Book Riot

"Kevin Maloney's The Red-Headed Pilgrim is one of the most absurdly funny yet poignant novels I have ever read. If Augie March had been guided by the Beats and born in Oregon, this could have been his story."
--David Gutowski, Largehearted Boy
(Read Kevin Maloney's playlist for The Red-Headed Pilgrim at Largehearted Boy)

"The Red-Headed Pilgrim is a fantastic addition to the "midlife woes" genre... Kevin Maloney's novel is a tragicomic misadventure about new beginnings that is in turns laugh out loud funny and painfully real."
--The Chicago Review of Books, "Must-Read Books of January 2023"

"Kevin Maloney's humility and sense of humor are inspiring, if not contagious. It's empowering to loudly claim that you aren't perfect... It's a very intimate and vulnerable novel that is told with such a heartfelt and self-deprecating way that you'll end up relating to Kevin Maloney's journey through adulthood."
--Benoit Lelievre, Dead End Follies
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

For Independent Book Review, Joe Walters has named The Red-Headed Pilgrim by Kevin Maloney as one of "30 Indie Books to Look Out for in 2023"!

The Red-Headed Pilgrim is featured in Page One in Poets & Writers Magazine:
Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin, January/February 2023

"We're big admirers of the work of Kevin Maloney around these parts. His novel Cult of Loretta and his short fiction are particular favorites, and he's an engaging interviewee to boot. All of which means that we're thrilled about his forthcoming novel The Red-Headed Pilgrim, scheduled for publication by Two Dollar Radio in January. And we're happy to be premiering the trailer for said novel today--a short video that gives a fine sense of what to expect from Maloney's forthcoming work"
Book trailer for The Red-Headed Pilgrim, created by the author, Kevin Maloney, originally debuted by Vol. 1 Brooklyn:

"Halfway between the ranting of a beloved, inebriated uncle at the family holiday and the working diary of an emerging standup comic, The Red Headed Pilgrim is the story of Kevin Maloney, an outcast in a world of outcasts, telling us of his adventures from existentially-unnerved teenager to neurotic father. From the very beginning, starting with the book's charming and effective prologue, Maloney plays with the novel form, not so much breaking the fourth wall as challenging its very existence."
--D. W. White, 3: AM Magazine
"Me, Myself, and I: Autotruth and Autofiction in The Red Headed Pilgrim"

"In The Red-Headed Pilgrim, Maloney envisions a hilarious reality in which we must give up on our dreams to care for those we love and begrudgingly find meaning along the way."
--Daniel Marcantuono, Mid-American Review
(Read the full review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"The Red-Headed Pilgrim illuminates the sometimes painful reality of what it means to search for meaning and beauty in this world. With quick wit and refreshing humor, Maloney has crafted a coming of age and adulthood story that exposes the gritty underside of idealization without losing all hope. This book was a wild, exuberant ride."
--Madeline Hausmann, Bookpeople (Austin, TX)

"Kevin is a teen-turning-adult in the 90s, but his journey is classic 1960s/70s: a highly intelligent soul searches for truth and beauty with the aid of various drugs, a deep appreciation of nature and simplicity, openness to spontaneous travel, and strong avoidance of 9-5 jobs. Kevin carelessly becomes a father and husband, and parenthood skyrockets his tendency toward denial. Divorce eventually forces him back home to a 9-5 job. A raucous trip!"
--Kay Wosewick, Boswell Book Company (Milwaukee, WI)

"With a mix of humor, melancholy, and pathos, Kevin Maloney's memorable novel The Red-Headed Pilgrim follows an office worker through his midlife crisis... Maloney's prose is expert in its formation. The book's sections are packed with witty references and sly digs at Kevin's lack of self-awareness. There are scenes that are downright heartbreaking, too. Indeed, in addition to Kevin's freewheeling adventures, the novel covers the consequences that adventuring can produce. Kevin enters into a far from ideal marriage, raises a child in that milieu, and works to manage elements of a life that can't be put back together... fun, adventure-filled novel."
--Jeff Fleischer, Foreword Reviews

"The author maintains a sharp wit and a knack for bringing zany flare to everyday details in his protagonist's awkward quest to build a life, and the author's willingness to get laughs at his narrator-doppelgänger's expense makes for a good use of the form. This funny and openhearted romp will have readers laughing and reflecting on their own misadventures and foibles."
--Publishers Weekly (Read the full review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"There are pages in here where every.single.sentence is funny... While the humor is seeping through these easy-reading pages, it's also telling the story of a guy who makes decisions based on their own fumblings of how the world works... Maloney (the character) goes through quite a lot by the end of this book, and maybe it becomes hard to breathe as an adult, harder to cope. Maybe it becomes harder to do most things, but he's alive. So maybe there's hope for him (and me) yet."
--Joe Walters, Independent Book Review
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"What follows is a funny, sometimes sad, always openhearted tour of a man's coming of age... Looking back at young mistakes from middle-age is a time-honored tradition. Especially for those who've harbored artistic or utopian dreams (or delusions, as the case may be.) Maloney doesn't give us the wish-fulfillment ending by having Kevin quit his comfortable job and go back on the road to sound his barbaric yawp, but neither does he close the door on the possibility that some pie-in-the-sky hopes may still come true."
--Dmitry Samarov, Neutral Spaces
(Read the full book review of The Red-Headed Pilgrim)

"I devoured this book. What a beautiful ode to being a fucked up pathetic virgin. The Red-Headed Pilgrim is intimate and vulnerable and sexy in the most raw, uncomfortable, depressing ways. Kevin Maloney, through years of poor decisions and contradictory impulses, shows us what he seemed to always know: there is nothing more powerful than love."
--Chelsea Martin, author of Tell Me I'm an Artist

"The Red-Headed Pilgrim is a revelation that achieves starry dynamo-level energy from the jump. Maloney's prose is sharp and vivid, full of trippy precision, and his story is funny, wild, painful and wise. When the road of On the Road runs into shattered middle age, this book is waiting for you."
--Sam Lipsyte, author of Hark and The Ask

"A very funny and rollicking novel about one young man's often ill-fated quest for authenticity, originality, and beauty in modern times. Part of a generation raised in relative privilege by tv and breakfast cereal, he seeks more than the cog in the machine 9-5 life expected of him in search of unique experience, be it through farming, retail, travel, sex, drugs, rock and roll, all the way to marriage and fatherhood, often falling flat on his face. I devoured this book in one evening and enjoyed his misadventures thoroughly."
--Seth Tucker, Carmichael's Bookstore (Louisville, KY)

"The Red-Headed Pilgrim is a fascinating novel about what can happen when you pursue beauty above all else. Money, reality, and corporate jobs are the last thing on this narrator's mind--instead, he'll go wherever love takes him. Kevin Maloney's writing will break your heart in the best way, reminding us how difficult life can be when we follow the path towards meaning, understanding, and belonging."
--Chelsea Hodson, author of Tonight I'm Someone Else

"The Red-Headed Pilgrim is a funny, raw, eccentric novel that made me laugh out loud frequently as I tore through its pages. What I appreciated most about this bittersweet, darkly comic story, though, is how it is tinged so beautifully with hope in the end."
--Jami Attenberg, bestselling author of The Middlesteins and All Grown Up

"Just as life does over and over again to its hero, Kevin Maloney's The Red-Headed Pilgrim knocked me down, picked me up, tickled my ribs, knocked me down again, kicked sand in my face, made my bed in the dirt, and then rubbed my back. It's John Williams by way of Sam Lipsyte, and it's not to be missed."
--Greg Kornbluh, Downbound Books (Cincinnati, OH)

"Unfailingly affable, often hilarious, sometimes harrowing, The Red-Headed Pilgrim is a künstlerroman--a novel detailing a young person's development into an artist--that tells the tale of one tall, white, Boho-American male's staggering path to creative fulfillment. With many detours through the swamps of sex, drugs, farm work, and fatherhood along the way, this novel is filled with deceptively hard-won wisdom, all wrapped in a brightly-colored bow."
--Jon Raymond, author of Freebird

"Who doesn't love a good disaster story, told with humor and good grace? I really do recommend this book, The Red-Headed Pilgrim, by Kevin Maloney. The main character has hints of those old-school hapless heroes from the pages of Salinger or Brautigan, with a dash of modern day love-able losers like, say, Napoleon Dynamite. It's a drug and sex fueled Odyssey, with way less violence and death, and hardly any monsters, come to think of it. But I believ