Writer and reporter Seamus McGraw, author of The End of Country, will read from his newly published book about the promise and perils of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale at The Palace Theatre in Frostburg on Thursday, July 21 at 7:30 pm.  Journalist McGraw , a native of northeastern Pennsylvania whose mother was one of the first to receive a leasing offer for her property from a gas company, tells a compelling story of the battle for control of the Marcellus Shale gas deposits , a conflict pitting the forces of corporate America against local residents.

The End of Country is a book about greed, hubris and envy, but also of hope and family – and the land that bonds them together.  McGraw’s book discusses the benefits and risks of drilling leases that make poor residents rich and put the entire community at risk.  Most importantly, this new book explores the tests to the  character of everyone in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania as they fight against “the end of country”.

McGraw is a full-time writer whose work has been published in Playboy, Reader’s Digest, Penthouse, Radar, Spin, and The Forward. He has received the Freedom of Information Award from the Associated Press Managing Editors, as well as honors from the Casey Foundation and the Society of Professional Journalists. McGraw is currently working on a documentary trailer about his family’s experiences with the Marcellus shale. He grew up pitching hay and spreading manure on the same fields the gas companies are now prospecting. He still lives in the woods of northeastern Pennsylvania with his wife and four children.

The author was a recent guest on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show where he participated in a discussion on natural gas extracting and hydrofracking.  The End of Country was published in June by Random House.

The Palace Theatre is located at 31 E. Main St. in downtown Frostburg.  Doors will open at 7 pm.  The author will take questions from the audience after the reading.  A book signing will follow in the lobby.  For additional information contact Main Street Books at 301-689-5605 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .