From the author of
November 22, 2963
and
Mr. Lincoln's Wars
"Sophisticated, subtle, nuanced, and very moving." —Rick Moody
"Fierce and true, his fiction is unforgettable." —Claire Messud
"A moving, illuminating, relevant book." —Joanna Scott
In the fall of 1969, on Sunset Boulevard, a giant billboard advertised the newly released album,
Abbey Road
. Shortly after it appeared, Paul McCartney's head was cut off the display, mysteriously disappearing. Set against that backdrop,
Rejoice the Head of Paul McCartney
is about more than a specific incident or snapshot of history, it is a story of people and a generation being shaped by their times. Through its ensemble cast, we see how that moment of desecrating the symbol of an era affects the lives of the characters over the course of several decades. Some characters are drawn to confronting the challenges, while others are trying to escape them. But all are affected by the specter of the missing Paul McCartney head. Written in a series of suites, the novel weaves a recurring collection of characters that range from a young couple trying to make their place in an unsteady world, to a student who mistakenly is assumed to be a domestic terrorist, to a battered couple who won't leave a guest room, to a movie legend and his aspiring acting son. As in life, the narratives of all the characters intrude on and interrupt each other's efforts to negotiate the end of a tumultuous decade, while trying to find their ways in the years that follow. Told in a variety of voices and styles,
is about finding solace and hope during times that seem short on hope.Selections have been published previously in the Normal School, and upcoming in Action/Spectacle.