About Us

Open Spaces Publishing is dedicated to bringing forward stories that explore the profound connections—and disconnections—that shape human lives across generations. Founded by author David Shaw, the publishing house is home to The Open Spaces Trilogy, a series of interconnected literary novels that examine how isolation, belonging, and legacy echo through families across time.

The Weight of Open Spaces, the first novel in the trilogy, follows Samuel Morrison from 1974 to 2022, tracing his journey through rural isolation, depression, medical school, crisis, and ultimately, recovery and chosen family. Through Samuel's deeply introspective voice, the novel explores what it means to be "different," to struggle with mental health, and to eventually find connection with another person and build a life worth living.

But Samuel's story is not told in isolation. The Music of Open Spaces, the second novel, steps back to tell the story of Samuel's parents, Robert and Ruth, from their own high school years through a lifetime of marriage, parenthood, and the aching gap between loving a child and truly understanding them. It is a story abut the silence between generations, and the moment when that silence finally breaks into music—connection, understanding, and reconciliation.

The third novel, The Legacy of Open Spaces, moves forward into the future through the eyes of Samuel and David's adopted children, Lily and Marcus. It follows their journey growing up as the children of two fathers in a small town, navigating the spaces—both welcoming and hostile—that shape their resilience and their vision for the lives they will build.

Together, these three novels form a complete examination of the human experience across generations. They ask: What does it mean to inhabit the empty spaces within ourselves and around us? How do we break cycles of isolation? What legacy do we leave behind? The trilogy is grounded in the literary tradition of character-driven fiction that prioritizes emotional truth, exploring themes of mental health, LGBTQ+ identity, chosen family, and the quiet courage it takes to show up for ourselves and for one another.

David Shaw is a writer who grew up in rural Ohio. His work is centered on the lives of people in overlooked places—the small towns, the quiet moments, the internal struggles that rarely make it to the page. He brings these stories to life through fictional means; in a way that honors the complexity and resilience of the human heart.