Waiting for the Man: A Novel

Arjun Basu

Eph 2014 · ECW Press

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An advertising man searches for meaning in this “fascinating dissection of the media world we live in . . . A thought-provoking road-trip tale” (Chicago Tribune).
 
Longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize
 
In his mid-thirties, Joe works as an advertising copywriter for a slick New York agency. But he feels disillusioned with his life, and finds himself experiencing dreams about a mysterious man, seeing him on the street, hearing his voice. Joe decides to listen. So he waits on his stoop, day and night, for instructions.
 
A local reporter takes notice, and soon Joe has become a media sensation, the center of a storm. When the Man tells Joe to “go west,” he does. What follows is a compelling and visceral story about the struggle to find something more in life, told in two interwoven threads—Joe at the beginning of his journey in Manhattan, and at the end of it as he finds new purpose on a ranch in Montana under the endless sky.
 
“A strangely engrossing, meticulously written allegory of the present moment.” —Douglas Coupland, author of Worst. Person. Ever.

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Arjun Basu is a writer and editor. In 2008, he published Squishy, a collection of short stories that was shortlisted for the ReLit Prize. His stories have been published in literary journals across the country, including Matrix and Joyland. He also writes 140-character short stories he calls Twisters on Twitter (@ArjunBasu), an obsession that has won him a Shorty Award, lots of press, and a worldwide following. Arjun lives in Montreal with his wife, son, and dog. This is his first novel.