About Jesse Thoeming
Jesse Thoeming is a writer whose work explores the intersection of humanity, progress, and imagination. Originally from southern Illinois, where he grew up in the shadow of the Gateway Arch, he has lived and worked in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for over two decades. His essays and commentary have appeared in numerous local and regional publications, and his debut novel, The Brown Bottle Squeeze, earned praise for its narrative voice and depth of character. “God Bless You, Mr. Trump,” coming 2026, marks the beginning of a bold speculative trilogy set in the near future.
When he’s not writing or traveling the country and world with his wife, Sarah, Jesse finds his balance on open-air trails—hiking, biking, and thinking deeply about where we’ve been—and where we might be going next.
The Real ‘Why’ Behind My Writing
The Brown Bottle Squeeze
Inspired by Jack Kerouac's On the Road and Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, I set off to write a tale set in the late aughts that mirrored the tumult captured in those two 20th century literary classics. Cameron Carlyle and his crew fully understand that the economy and the workforce is nothing like that of past generations and have no intention of being a part of it for the duration of their careers. With this sentiment serving as the story's backdrop, the book evolves into a road trip story at the midway point with the main characters in search of a way out while also confronting the balance of having a good time too often vs. being productive and focused enough to achieve the heights they all seek.
“God Bless You, Mr. Trump”
Understanding that we're living in the most precarious time in human history due to recent mega-advancements in tech, I wanted to provide a meditation on what society might look like a generation from now if we take the prudent path today while also imagining the great challenges that would inevitably be waiting around the next corner. The story is also very much an overt tip of the hat to the likes of Carl Sagan, Sam Harris, and other great thinkers who have done their best to steer humanity to a better and more hopeful future by illuminating the story of where we come from and where we could potentially go. Too many futuristic takes are steeped in dystopia, and while this story is certainly not set in any kind of utopia, it does imagine a future USA whose citizens all universally agree on one thing: no matter your age, race, creed, political affiliation, or sexual orientation-- we're ALL in this TOGETHER, and that's a beautiful thing.
Coming Spring 2026