Awards
2008 Oregon Book Award Finalist
Synopses & Reviews
Review
“…a strangely enigmatic
novel which is kind of addictive…With passages that are so well turned
they can be called lyrical -- and others that are laugh out loud funny.
This is the kind of book where we see a bit of ourselves and
grimace -- but keep reading.” A.M. Homes
Review
“it’s funny; it’s insightful; it’s gonzo.” Willamette Week
Review
“ ..original…unusual…full of pithy observations.” Jeff Baker, The Oregonian
Review
“The notes range from hysterical, to
insightful, to the common, but are never banal. The Sum of His
Syndromes is literary poetry on the page.” Metro Reader
Review
“Dixon
effortlessly captures what it’s like to be human in a relatively
uncaring world, but the beauty of the book is in the fact that he
makes you laugh while doing so. Don’t look for
the answers in The Sum of His Syndromes; look for humanity. You’ll find it.” Katherine Weikert, The Lit Mob
Synopsis
The Sum of His Syndromes is a wry, odd, idiosyncratic book. A collage of notes written in a sixth-floor men’s room, it is the story of a dissatisfied, slightly disturbed young man named David who has found himself at a personal and professional crossroads. He has a job he hates but cannot leave, and a girl he loves but cannot fully understand. With help from his friend Peter and his therapist, the irrepressible Dr. Costa, he struggles to make sense of his complicated young life.
A fractured, fragmented, unconventional narrative, Syndromes offers a comic look at office angst, contemporary psychiatric practice, and romantic uncertainty. A conglomeration of thoughts, observations, commentary, overheard conversations, and cameo appearances, its story--David and Kate’s story--emerges surreptitiously from this innovative presentation of a confused and chaotic time.
About the Author
K. B. Dixon’s work has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, and journals. The recipient of an OAC Individual Artist Fellowship Award, he is the author of three novels, The Sum of His Syndromes, Andrew (A to Z), and A Painter’s Life; as well as the short story collection, My Desk and I.