heretofore

“Wyatt T. Frog had observed many fascinating things in his life but never had he seen a girl falling from the sky—until now.” So begins Todd Crawshaw’s heretofore, a novel that deftly blends the magic realism of Alice in Wonderland and the satirical humor of Catch 22 with the poignancy found in The Lovely Bones. Set against the backdrop of what may or may not be a young girl’s afterlife, this paradoxical but ultimately richly rewarding story poses the timeless and yet timely questions: If heaven is real, a supposed realm of eternal bliss, how would it avoid becoming monotonous? Can harmony and controversy coexist? What would God have in mind? Inspired in part by Jim Morrison of The Doors, who shortly before his death expressed a desire to one day create a “piece of music that’s just a pure expression of joy…a celebration of existence,” heretofore is a luminous novel that explores art, the ferocity of nature, death, and philosophy with great candor, wit, and imagination. Todd Crawshaw is the author of several books, including Exploits of the Satyr and Light Years in the Dark. A member of Left Coast Writers, he is the founder of Crawshaw Design, a graphic design firm based in San Francisco that provides integrated brand marketing for print and the web.