New Book Release Scheduled Fall 2025
Heartland Highways an entertaining and enlightening journey filled with humor, adventure, and meaningful encounters.
THIS STORY IS A TRAIL of moments, of small-town diner stops, of strangers who spoke truth in passing, of silence in a snowy forest, of trading screens for scenes, of nights where the stars felt closer than the ground beneath me. It's about getting lost on purpose, chasing questions, finding pieces of yourself in places you've never been.
"A MUST-READ
AS AMERICA TURNS 250"
“It does no harm just once in a while to acknowledge that the whole country isn't in flames, that there are people in the country besides politicians, entertainers, and criminals.” —Charles Kuralt
Laugh and be inspired as a radio broadcaster swaps his studio desk for the driver's seat in search of the real America.
John Butler intended to make a quick sweep across America to check its pulse, but his trip turned into an unexpectedly inspiring loop-de-loop of 33,321 miles. Awaken your inner wanderlust as you embark with the author, a disillusioned Texas radio personality, who swaps his broadcast desk for a rambling journey through small towns, vibrant cities, and sprawling countryside in search of our country’s heart and maybe even its soul.
Ditching the convenience of his Dallas home and ease of air travel, this curious writer outfits an Airstream Sprinter van he named ARGO after the first steamship to intentionally circumnavigate the earth. If he’s to find the essence of America, he’ll do so not through staged, grab-and-go interviews or sound bites but via deep dives into normal lives—at the pace they’re lived and where our neighbors eat, shop, bowl, worship, watch their home high school team, and enjoy first light or the setting sun.
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Amidst his immersive trip, this inquisitive road warrior encounters everyday Americans crafting solutions, fostering community, and living engaged lives that challenge the stereotypes often portrayed in the media. Along the way, Butler wrestles with his own mortality and past, encounters unexpected potholes and detours, spends a good bit of time in repair shops and down-on-your-luck motels, shares close encounters with a menagerie of wildlife and a host of colorful people living disparately but sharing a few commonalities—the least of which is the dirt beneath their feet, the home they yet call the good ol’ U.S. of A.
From the birch forests of Maine to the palmed Hollywood Hills, from the challenging Mexican border to the gilded Canadian Rockies, ride along on this singular adventure and--perhaps for the first time--allow yourself to fall in love with the real America--the folks with big hearts and warm souls who open their doors and arms to a total stranger for one reason: to learn through his discoveries that which yet unites us.
This is the story of a single man who’s been around the block a few times and seen his share of life . . . and yet follows his itchy feet to discover America one story at a time—and learn a fair bit about himself along the way.
About the Author
John W. Butler began working in a TV newsroom at age fifteen. Throughout high school, he tested his creative flair by producing two prime-time documentaries, spinning tracks as a radio DJ, and hosting a weekly radio interview show.
John worked his way through college on-air as a television news reporter and even doing the weather, graduating with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and earning a Master’s degree from SMU in Dallas. He's deeply embedded in the Texas media scene, serving on the Texas Association of Broadcasters board and past President of the Golden Mic Club. As President of Butler7media, his Texas-based radio stations have garnered awards for broadcast excellence from the TAB and Texas Broadcast News Association.
John is a tireless advocate for community service. He has lent his voice to recording books for the sight-impaired and disabled and has dedicated over 2,000 hours to supporting cancer patients in memory of his late wife. As a devoted single dad to his son and daughter, he is now affectionately known as “Papa John” to his five grandchildren. Based in Dallas, John thrives on travel, exploring by foot, car, train, bike, and boat. He is still working on his golf skills in the never-ending quest for a hole-in-one, but he spends more time in the rough than on the green.
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