HERKIMER, NY, December 8, 2025 — Herkimer County Community College Professor Blake
Pitcher has released his newest novel, The Bird Room, a story that connects the struggle of rural America with the shadow of the supernatural.
The Bird Room follows Raine Penton, a man who would endure anything to succeed at his new job, including mind-numbing orientations and grueling hours. Until he’s asked to kill.
His would-be target is Ian Swift, a teenager struggling to survive in a rural landscape of
economic depression and opioid use. Just another nobody—except his soul unlocks a portal to a powerful mythological entity, worshiped by an underworld cult. Raine’s employer, a secretive government contractor, wants him first… or wants him dead.
Pitcher describes the book as “genre-bending sci-fi set in a fictionalized upstate New York.”
Pitcher’s previous published works include Letters from the Apocalypse, the sequel Return from the Apocalypse, and the story collection Autonomy.
Pitcher has taught design and communications courses at Herkimer College since 2006. He
holds an associate degree in Professional and Technical Communication from Herkimer County Community College, a bachelor’s degree in Professional and Technical Communication from SUNYIT at Utica/Rome, and a master degree in Information Design Technology from SUNYIT at Utica/Rome. The Bird Room is now available through Amazon and most major online booksellers.
About Herkimer College:
Located in central New York State, just off the NYS Thruway exit 30 and situated in the foothills of the Adirondack Park, Herkimer College is one of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Herkimer offers a quality and affordable educational experience and is ranked among the top two-year colleges in the nation based on transfer and graduation rates. Herkimer College offers a variety of associate degree and certificate programs in art, business, communication arts, criminal justice and law, education, healthcare and service, liberal arts and sciences, and STEM, and is a leading provider of fully online degree programs. The student body of approximately 2,500 hails from throughout the nation and several foreign countries. With on-campus housing for more than 600 students, a nationally ranked athletics program, and a variety of student activities, clubs, and events, Herkimer College students enjoy the complete college experience. Herkimer College is a fundamental contributor to the economic development of Herkimer County and the Mohawk Valley region. More information is available at http://www.herkimer.edu.
