In Middle Men, Stegner Fellow and New Yorker contributor Jim Gavin delivers a hilarious and panoramic vision of California, portraying a group of men, from young dreamers to old vets, as they make valiant forays into middle-class respectability. In " Play the Man" a high-school basketball player aspires to a college scholarship, in " Elephant Doors" , a production assistant on a game show moonlights as a stand-up comedian, and in the collection' s last story, the immensely moving " Costello" , a middle-aged plumbing supplies salesman comes to terms with the death of his wife. The men in Gavin' s stories all find themselves stuck somewhere in the middle, caught half way between their dreams and the often crushing reality of their lives. A work of profound humanity that pairs moments of high comedy with searing truths about life' s missed opportunities, Middle Men brings to life a series of unforgettable characters learning what it means to love and work and be in the world as a man, and it offers our first look at a gifted writer who has just begun teaching us the tools of his trade.
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“The stories in Mr. Gavin’s first collection are carved from the follies and frustrated longings of modern manhood…He strikes a fine balance in each tale, wielding a sharp sense of humor but never losing sight of people’s dignity.”
— New York Times
“Excellent…Extremely entertaining…Gavin’s writing delivers jab after jab, the hilarious and the poignant mingling in compelling ways.”
— Boston Globe“These short stories will transport you, will educate you, will entertain you, will fill you with fear and laughter and sadness.”
— Esquire“Sad and overtly hysterical, the stories dodge self-pity and indie quirk for pensive American tales of turn-of-the-20th century manchildren gesturing vaguely toward a future of eroded opportunity.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Jim Gavin’s fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, the Paris Review, Zoetrope, ZYZZYVA, and Slice magazine. He lives in Los Angeles.
Jonathan Todd Ross is a writer and an Earphones and Audie Award–winning voice actor. He has lent his voice to numerous anime television shows, including Yu-Gi-Oh! and Sonic X.
T. Ryder Smith is an American actor. A native of New York state and long-time resident of New York City, he has appeared frequently on stage, particularly in avant-garde theater works, and in film, sometimes as a voice actor.