Great American Plain — Gary Sernovitz

A funny, beautiful novel of youth, state fairs, and the American Midwest.Edward Steinke, with all the ambition and steadfastness of his twenty-four years, believes in only one thing: Perfect Execution. This is the sales technique from the 1954 masterpiece Classic Sales: Theory and Technique. Unfortunately for Ed, he is selling the Brackett 180-X piano organ at the South Exhibition Hall of a large Midwestern state fair, and Perfect Execution is proving perfectly useless. Barry Steinke, Ed's sullen, cocky younger brother and employee, is less than supportive: having already surrendered his adolescent dreams of becoming a rockabilly superstar, he cannot understand Ed's commitment to professional success. Through the eyes of their parents, customers, and ex-girlfriends, we come to see that, in Ed and Barry's running struggle, what is at stake is nothing less than their conception of themselves and the world. Between the brothers comes Leila Genet, imaginative but timid, who wanders the hall looking to escape into the stupid happiness of the Fair. Barry falls in love with her. Ed falls into doubt, debt, and — perhaps — in love with Leila too. And then comes the difficult matter of convincing Leila that neither of them are, in fact, as maladjusted as they seem. With its three unforgettable central characters, large supporting cast, and deeply humane vision, Great American Plain establishes Gary Sernovitz as not only a uniquely gifted writer but one of the funniest voices to appear in years. Author Biography: Gary Sernovitz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and now lives in New York City.