{"title":"Stanley Elkin","description":"Stanley Elkin (1930-1995) was an award-winning author of novels, short stories, and essays. Born in the Bronx, Elkin received his BA and PhD from the University of Illinois and in 1960 became a professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis where he taught until his death. His critically acclaimed works include the National Book Critics Circle Award-winners George Mills (1982) and Mrs. Ted Bliss (1995), as well as the National Book Award finalists The Dick Gibson Show (1972), Searches and Seizures (1974), and The MacGuffin (1991). His book of novellas, Van Gogh's Room at Arles, was a finalist for the PEN Faulkner Award.","products":[{"product_id":"the-franchiser-paperback","title":"The Franchiser - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA tragicomic journey across America as one man attempts to create a fast food empire, and a legacy to leave behind.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the prolific and peerless Stanley Elkin, \u003ci\u003eThe Franchiser\u003c\/i\u003e follows Ben Flesh--one of the men \"who made America look like America, who made America famous.\" He collects franchises, traveling from state to state, acquiring the brand-name establishments that shape the American landscape. But both the nation and Ben are running out of energy. As blackouts roll through the West, Ben struggles with the onset of multiple sclerosis, and the growing realization that his lifetime quest to buy a name for himself has ultimately failed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102794289375,"sku":"9781628976243","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/xERpxlylD49781628976243.webp?v=1781087369"},{"product_id":"the-magic-kingdom-paperback","title":"The Magic Kingdom - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrimming with Elkin's comic brilliance and singular wordplay, \u003ci\u003eThe Magic Kingdom\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of Eddy Bale, who, determined to learn from the ghastly experience of his son's long, drawn-out death, decides to give seven terminally ill children a dream vacation before they die.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbandoned by his wife and devastated by the death of his twelve-year old son, Eddy Bale becomes obsessed with the plight of terminally ill children and develops a plan to provide a last hurrah dream vacation for seven children who will never grow-up.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEddy and his four dysfunctional chaperones journey to the entertainment capital of America-Disney World. Once they arrive, a series of absurdities characteristic of an Elkin novel-including a freak snowstorm and a run-in with a vengeful Mickey Mouse-transform Eddy's idealistic wish into a fantastic nightmare.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102823583967,"sku":"9781628976083","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/6T3S03t7F49781628976083.webp?v=1781087422"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/stanley-elkin.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}