Listen to an interview with Kyle! 

See how well-meaning people seeking spiritual community can become ensnared in webs of intrigue and deadly manipulation. Through the lens of a Netflix documentary as well as the main character’s personal struggle, Reunion of the Good Weather Suicide Cult takes readers on a journey through the dark heart of a simple Iowa commune gone horribly wrong.

This gripping drama follows Tom Duncan, the sole survivor of the largest cult mass suicide in U.S. history, as he works to rebuild his shattered life. After a Netflix documentary accuses Tom of masterminding the plot that led to the deaths of one hundred thirty-seven people, including his wife, he finds himself exiled from his home and family. Tom seeks redemption through a weekend memorial with other cult members who escaped before the grisly end.

About the Author

Kyle McCord is the author of seven books including National Poetry Series Finalist, Magpies in the Valley of Oleanders (Trio House Press 2016), X-Rays and Other Landscapes (Trio House 2018), and Reunion of the Good Weather Suicide Cult (Atmosphere 2021).  I have work featured or forthcoming in AGNI, Blackbird, Boston Review, The Gettysburg Review, The Harvard Review, The Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, TriQuarterly and elsewhere.

He has received grants or awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Baltic Writing Residency. McCord holds an M.F.A. from University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. He served as associate poetry editor of The Nation and currently serves as Executive Editor of Gold Wake Press and Acquisitions Director for Atmosphere Press.  He is married to the visual artist Lydia McCord and teaches in Des Moines, Iowa.