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Original Essays | April 30, 2013
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More copies of this ISBNCaptive Audienceby Dave Reidy
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:“Captive Audience is wonderful. These stories—understated, honest and always touching—limn the many small perils that await a young man today on his way to settling in the world. This is an immensely rewarding book.”—Scott Turow “Dave Reidy’s stories remind us that even when we’re composing our Song of Everyone Else, we’re creating a distinctive Song of Ourselves, and continually gathering others into us, in a way that Walt Whitman would recognize, and celebrate.”—Jim Shepard “Dave Reidy’s matchless reports from the heart of twenty-first century America, a landscape of technological obsession and performance anxiety (in many forms), are elegant, precise, cool, and funny. Here is a young writer from whom we can expect much in the future.”—David Leavitt Francis Ford Coppola, REM, and Abe Vigoda are just a few of the many characters who populate the world of Captive Audience, Dave Reidy’s paean to the highs, lows, and everything in-between of being a performer. From the opening story, the award-winning “The Regular,” where two lonely music fans bond over a most unusual kind of karaoke, to the final tale, "Dancing Man" about an organ player who gets his big break in the most unexpected way with the band REM, this bittersweet and humorous collection gives voice to those who are driven to perform, no matter the size of the audience. Review:"Reidy's youthful collection weaves real-life personas with fictional characters, placing them in settings that reflect the oddities of the humdrum. In 'Thingless,' Arkansas teenager Kyle searches for 'a thing' that may define him at his new high school, but his plan backfires when he takes too much of an interest in the troubled girl next door. In the title story, agoraphobic narrator Jim structures his day around listening to classic comedy records, and the comedy club that opens below his apartment provides unexpected comfort and an unlikely, uncommon friendship. In the ironic, not quite credible but entertaining 'Dancing Man,' Dale, a Chicago organist who plays by ear, lands a gig touring with Sod Off Shotgun, a ska rock band. Although the band doesn't find his organ skills up to par, he finds a niche dancing on stage as a novelty act to energize the crowd. Though the same themes are repeatedly pounded and sounded, and the twists become less fun and surprising later in the book, Reidy is a proficient and reliable performer in his chosen groove. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Synopsis:Find out what Bob Newhart, REM, and Abe Vigoda all have in common? Synopsis:Captive Audience is wonderful. These stories--understated, honest and always touching--limn the many small perils that await a young man today on his way to settling in the world. This is an immensely rewarding book.--Scott Turow
Dave Reidy's stories remind us that even when we're composing our Song of Everyone Else, we're creating a distinctive Song of Ourselves, and continually gathering others into us, in a way that Walt Whitman would recognize, and celebrate.--Jim Shepard Dave Reidy's matchless reports from the heart of twenty-first century America, a landscape of technological obsession and performance anxiety (in many forms), are elegant, precise, cool, and funny. Here is a young writer from whom we can expect much in the future.--David Leavitt Francis Ford Coppola, REM, and Abe Vigoda are just a few of the many characters who populate the world of Captive Audience, Dave Reidy's paean to the highs, lows, and everything in-between of being a performer. From the opening story, the award-winning The Regular, where two lonely music fans bond over a most unusual kind of karaoke, to the final tale, Dancing Man about an organ player who gets his big break in the most unexpected way with the band REM, this bittersweet and humorous collection gives voice to those who are driven to perform, no matter the size of the audience. About the AuthorDave Reidy received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Florida. His fiction has appeared in Pindeldyboz, The MacGuffin and in The Frostproof Review. In 2007, Charles D'Ambrosio named the lead story of Captive Audience, entitled "The Regular," the winner of the Emerging Writers Network Short Story Competition. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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