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Wade Rouse

Biography

Wade Rouse

Wade Rouse is an internationally bestselling author of 13 books, which have been translated into 21 languages and selected as "Today Show" Must-Reads, Indie Next picks and Michigan Notable Books. Rouse writes fiction under his grandma’s name, Viola Shipman, to honor the working-poor Ozarks woman whose memory inspires his writing. He lives in Michigan and California, and hosts "Wine & Words with Wade," a literary happy hour, every Thursday.

Books by Wade Rouse

by Wade Rouse - Fiction

Theodore Copeland has created a fabulous life in the desert oasis of Palm Springs, where he shares a fabulous pink mid-century home with three fabulous friends: Barry, a former actor still clinging to his youth, his hair, and the memory of the dream role that killed his career; Ron, an uprooted Christian from the Midwest with a big heart but no one to give it to; Sid, who, after coming out late in life, has never found love. Teddy is the caustic, unspoken leader of “The Golden Gays” --- the foursome’s monthly drag tribute to "The Golden Girls." Despite their foibles and bickering, they have turned their golden years into a golden era. But the harmony of their desert enclave becomes a carousel of emotional baggage when Teddy’s estranged sister, Trudy, shows up on their doorstep, her dramatic teenage granddaughter in tow.

by Wade Rouse - Memoir, Nonfiction

As a queer kid in a conservative Ozarks community, Wade Rouse struggled at a young age to garner his father Ted’s approval and find his voice. But Wade and Ted had one thing in common: an undying love for the St. Louis Cardinals. When his father's health takes a turn for the worse, Wade returns to southwest Missouri. Together, during their own magic season, they'll move toward forgiveness, reconciliation and peace. 

edited by Wade Rouse - Essays, Humor, Nonfiction

Critically acclaimed memoirist Wade Rouse has gathered some of America's best known humorists --- authors, comedians and actors --- to offer biting commentary on what it means to share a life, and a heart with a dog.