Craig MackIntosh launches debut novel If I Should Lose You

Writer, artist and designer Craig MackIntosh has released his first novel, If I Should Lose You, a literary work about love, loss and chance encounters. The book is now available worldwide as MackIntosh launches his own imprint, Parvenu Pressworks, to publish the novel and future authors.

Why it matters: - Craig MackIntosh’s debut novel arrives as an independently published release, signaling a new stage in his career as both an author and publisher. - The book centers on grief, connection and life-altering encounters, themes MackIntosh says were shaped by family, marriage and personal reckoning. - The release also establishes Parvenu Pressworks, which MackIntosh founded to publish his own work and support future authors.

What happened: - Craig MackIntosh released If I Should Lose You, his debut novel, on June 30, 2026. - The book is available worldwide through booksellers and distribution platforms. - MackIntosh is based in Portland, Oregon.

The details: - If I Should Lose You follows Scott MacIntyre, a reclusive artist and aspiring journalist who feels disconnected from contemporary society. - The novel also follows Denyse Kersey, who leaves a difficult life in the South Bronx for Portland. - A third central character, James Severen, flees a violent workplace flashpoint after a life marked by poverty, abuse and neglect. - James encounters Scott in Portland, and Scott’s act of decency sets off events that alter multiple lives. - Advance readers described the novel as “Devastating. Brutal. Beautiful.” - Another early reader said the final third was so affecting that no book had made them weep longer than a moment until this one. - MackIntosh said the novel reflects years of refining both craft and perspective, including lessons from love relationships, his marriage, alienation from extended family and his role as a father. - MackIntosh also said the book is a “deep, dark love letter” to the world, his mother, his wife and writers who influenced him, including Edward Abbey, Derrick Jensen, Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain, Cormac McCarthy and Joseph Heller. - The author said the novel is about deep connection to each other and the earth, as well as awareness, gratitude, darkness, love, grief and pivotal moments that redirect lives. - MackIntosh earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2009, studying woodworking, metalsmithing, design and creative writing. - After graduation, he moved to South Korea, where he ran an art studio above a foundry and developed work in sculpture and casting aluminum furniture. - He has also written two authorized but unpublished books of essays on Chilean painter Raúl Pizarro. - Those essays, translated into Spanish and abridged for museum distribution, were circulated at Santiago’s El Centro Gabriela Mistral (GAM).

Between the lines: - MackIntosh’s move into publishing suggests he wants more control over how his work reaches readers while building an imprint for others. - The novel’s emphasis on emotional rupture and connection fits the author’s stated interest in empathy and the human condition. - The early-reader reaction is a strong signal that Parvenu Pressworks is positioning the book as a literary, emotionally intense debut rather than a commercial genre release.

What's next: - MackIntosh plans additional grassroots placement through independent bookstores. - Parvenu Pressworks is expected to publish future authors under the same imprint. - MackIntosh will continue promoting If I Should Lose You through major online retailers, book distributors and his social channels.