The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir

“I adore the Beekman boys’ story. Their unlikely story of love, the land, and a herd of goats is hilariously honest. If these two can go from Manhattan to a goat farm in upstate New York, then I can’t help feeling there is hope for us all.” –Alice Waters

“Kilmer-Purcell’s genius lies in his ability to blindside the reader with heart-wrenching truths in the midst of the most outlandish scenarios. He makes you laugh until you care.” — Armistead Maupin

Michael Perry (Coop, Truck: A Love Story) meets David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim) in this follow-up to Josh Kilmer-Purcell’s beloved New York Times bestselling debut memoir, I Am Not Myself These Days—another riotous, moving, and entirely unique story of his attempt to tackle the next phase of life with his partner… on a goat farm in upstate New York.

What happens when two New Yorkers (one an ex–drag queen) do the unthinkable: start over, have a herd of kids, and get a little dirty?

Find out in this riotous and moving true tale of goats, mud, and a centuries-old mansion in rustic upstate New York—the new memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, author of the New York Times bestseller I Am Not Myself These Days. A happy series of accidents and a doughnut-laden escape upstate take Josh and his partner, Brent, to the doorstep of the magnificent (and fabulously for sale) Beekman Mansion. One hour and one tour later, they have begun their transformation from uptight urbanites into the two-hundred-year-old-mansion-owning Beekman Boys.

Suddenly, Josh—a full-time New Yorker with a successful advertising career—and Brent are weekend farmers, surrounded by nature's bounty and an eclectic cast: roosters who double as a wedding cover band; Bubby, the bionic cat; and a herd of eighty-eight goats, courtesy of their new caretaker, Farmer John. And soon, a fledgling business, born of a gift of handmade goat-milk soap, blossoms into a brand, Beekman 1802.

The Bucolic Plague is tart and sweet, touching and laugh out loud funny, a story about approaching middle age, being in a long-term relationship, realizing the city no longer feeds you in the same way it used to, and finding new depths of love and commitment wherever you live.

“Witty.” - Food & Wine, Online Review

“Baby goats, diarrhea, and Martha Stewart. Former drag queen turned goat farmer Josh Kilmer-Purcell begins his latest book, The Bucolic Plague, with a hilarious vignette involving all three. Clearly, the man has an interesting story to tell.” - Wisconsin State Journal

“A hilarious memoir.” - Whole Living

“Side-splitting.” - Wall Street Journal

“Always entertaining and often moving.” - The Stranger (Seattle)

“Enter 60 goats and homemade soap, apple-picking and an heirloom vegetable garden. Hilarity follows. And trouble. But let’s not spoil the party. It’s fun.” - USA Today

“My Amtrak seat mate in the Quiet Car, a complete stranger, insisted that I read out loud the scene -- a goat in labor -- that was making me laugh so hard I was crying. . . . Kilmer-Purcell’s book is manically funny, sweetly open and trusting, and slick and snarky.” - New York Times Book Review

“Kilmer-Purcell fertilizes this narrative until it reeks of charm.” - New York Times

“The witty new memoir from Josh Kilmer-Purcell.” - Food & Wine, Online Review

“Besides the humor of two city-dwellers taking over a farm, [The Bucolic Plague] also speaks to anyone who is in a relationship, starting a business, or sharing a love of food, farming, and crafting. Kilmer-Purcell retells the story with humor and grace. . . . It is a must read.” - Fayetteville Flyer

“Halfway through Josh Kilmer-Purcell’s The Bucolic Plague, I started taking notes for this review and was ready to call it the perfect summer read, ideal for those pockets of time lying on a beach, traveling on a train, or sitting in a coffeehouse. Finishing the book, I realized that I was not giving it the full credit it deserved. It moved from a being a story perfectly designed for bite-sized nuggets to a rich, luscious narrative deserving more time and attention to digest.” - Lambda Literary

“The Bucolic Plague has something different to offer—if we can do it anyone can, it tells us, provided we can laugh at ourselves.” - Los Angeles Times Book Review

“This particular merging of city and country is both sweet and savory.” - Kirkus Reviews

“A delicious book about two city boys who buy a farm, fall in love with a herd of goats, and attempt to revive the American dream. But then life, two mortgages, and an economic crisis interfere. Every twist and turn, every triumph and setback had me on the edge of my seat. Never has mucking out a stall been more scintillating!” - Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals

“A delicious book about two city boys who buy a farm, fall in love with a herd of goats, and attempt to revive the American dream. . . . Never has mucking out a stall been more scintillating!” - Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals

“I adore the Beekman boys’ story. Their unlikely story of love, the land, and a herd of goats is hilariously honest. If these two can go from Manhattan to a goat farm in upstate New York, then I can’t help feeling there is hope for us all.” - Alice Waters

“Kilmer-Purcell writes with dramatic flair and trenchant wit, uncovering mirthful metaphors as he plows through their daily experiences.” - Publishers Weekly

“My Amtrak seat mate in the Quiet Car, a complete stranger, insisted that I read out loud the scene—a goat in labor—that was making me laugh so hard I was crying. . . . Kilmer-Purcell’s book is manically funny, sweetly open and trusting, and slick and snarky. Must be something in the soil.” - New York Times Book Review

“I gobbled up this book like…well, like goat cheese on a cracker. Kilmer-Purcell’s genius lies in his ability to blindside the reader with heart-wrenching truths in the midst of the most outlandish scenarios. He makes you laugh until you care.” - Armistead Maupin