Bealport

JEFFREY LEWIS has won a string of awards for his novels including the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. He has also received two Emmy Awards and the Writer’s Guild Award for his work as a television writer and producer.

Comprising short vignettes, the book aims to capture to character and consciousness of Bealport itself, flitting between individual lives, mock sociological overviews and the commentary of a Greek chorus of characters who meet at McDonald’s for their pre-shift breakfast. . . The portraits of the townspeople are endearing, drawn in well-chosen, economical details . . . The story is tightly and neatly constructed, and the hermetic nature of Bealport––where people live for the demolition derby, snowmobiling playoffs, the annual seaside picnic and the dignity of a day’s work––is deeply appealing, drenched in sympathetic nostalgia, folksy charm and pithy one-liners. Times Literary Supplement; “[Jeffrey Lewis's] prose is fluent and beautiful, with a light, witty touch and he can evoke a character in just few lines. . .a hugely satisfying read.” Times Literary Supplement; "Lewis has created a rich tapestry of life. In lean, poetically precise prose he lays bare the realities of a town in decline and reveals the fears, secrets and aspirations that animate ordinary lives. This highly accomplished short novel is a moving and humane portrait of small town contemporary America, a vision of Trump’s Republic in miniature.” Daily Mail on Sunday; Jeffrey Lewis... proves that you can wrest compelling, strange, funny, and surprising character-driven fiction out of town-crushing industrial demise. He is, without question, the most recent writer to do it well. New York Journal of Books; "Bealport is a tight, successful novel; Lewis is a master of literary economy. This is as good a book about a small town as you are likely to read. Bealport provides proof, if any were needed, that small towns can experience big heartaches.” Yale Alumni Magazine; "A fascinating story about a small town facing economic ruin and an uncertain future. . . . Lewis's fiction is just as sharp, edgy and fast-moving as a cop drama. Bealport is tragic and funny, poignant and inspiring, as resilient, hardworking people demonstrate pride and hope in the face of economic disaster." Centralmaine.com; `Though Lewis’s tone is measured, plenty of righteous anger lies just below the surface. It’s the little details that make this novel sing, however – and it’s what makes its conclusion that much more crushing, however inevitable.’Tobias Carroll, Portland Press Herald.

• 1The Demolition Party At Night in Bealport // 3The Return of the Prodigal Son // 7A Dialogue at the Check-out, Big Jim's Surplus & Salvage // 11On the Island // 13Three Notes to Give More an Impression of the Island // 15Father and Son // 17The Speech on the Factory Floor // 21The Breakfast Hour at the McDonald's // 25A Day's Work for a Day's Pay // 31The Dance in Augusta // 37In the Shade of Young Girls in Flower // 41The Family Discussion // 45The Bait // 53The Business Deal // 59A Meeting in the Garden // 65The Picnic // 71The Hunt // 75The Ride in the Woods // 81The New Hymnals // 87The Breakfast Hour at the McDonald's // 93A Dialogue in the Boardroom // 97The Island, January // 107The News // 111A Dialogue Between Brothers // 113The Thought // 115Winter Soldiers // 119The Prodigal // 123A Warmer Climate // 125The Ministry // 133The Shopper // 137Berserk // 141The Solace // 145The Breakfast Hour at the McDonald's // 147Shoes // 151The Reward // 153Every Seduction is One Part Premeditation and One Part Come What May // 161The Shoot // 167Clear Sailing // 171The TV Scene // 173The Spark of Life // 179The Protégé // 183The Sleepless Night // 185An Announcement // 187The Breakfast Hour at the McDonald's // 189A Dialogue in Gary's Garage // 191On the Island, Three in the Morning // 193The Showdown // 199Falling Apart // 203The Surprise // 209The Continuing Life and Times of Wsbealport1 // 211A Secret // 215The Tower // 221The New Idea // 227Certain Things Earl Hutchins Did in the Aftermath of the Closing of Norumbega Footwear // 231Tiles // 233The Breakfast Hour at the McDonald's // 237Bealport Days