The Only Wolf Is Time

By Dan Tremaglio

Air is a graffiti artist and self-described street hermit who spends his nights in homeless encampments and days in public libraries, reading up on physics and ancient philosophy, all while scribbling cryptic criticisms of society across every surface he passes. But when his only friend dies of a heroin overdose, setting off a frantic interdimensional search for meaning, Air must choose between confronting his past or joining Anachron, a mysterious underground militia that has declared war not just on the government, but on time itself.

Told in fragments that move restlessly through time, space, and point-of-view—sometimes quoting classic literature, other times collaging alternate realities with dictionary entries with dreams—the apparent randomness masks what is actually a traditionally plotted novel. Blending influences as various as Albert Einstein with Zhuangzi, The Epic of Gilgamesh with Hesiod, quantum mechanics with The Wizard of Oz, The Only Wolf Is Time is a one-of-a-kind lyric noir.

Notices

“Reference points exist for this book. Reader’s Block. The Road. Jesus’ Son. The Tunnel. But these are approximations. None of them quite capture the world Dan Tremaglio has built. A world that depicts end-stage capitalism and the attendant apocalyptic effect such an insane system has on human beings and their environment. A world that depicts homelessness and hopelessness and the oblivion-seeking of deep drug addiction. But a world that also celebrates the redemptive power of love between friends, between lovers, between a man and his cat.”

—Michael Keen, author of Notes from the Trauma Party

“The Only Wolf is Time is a rapid and inquisitive adventure meets thought experiment where Tremaglio’s writing thrills us with sharp, observant, and often hilarious details layered over stories of memory and connection. An expert creation that shows the flexibility of both language and time.”

—Dehlia Ackley, author of Lewd Wilderness

“Dan Tremaglio has crafted a nimble novel of David Foster Wallacian hijinks and anarchic erudition for the claustro-COVID era.”

—George Salis, author of Sea Above, Sun Below