Daytona Teddy Riggs

Drew Buxton is a writer from Texas. His short story collection So Much Heart won the Texas Institute of Letters’ Sergio Troncoso Award for Best First Book of Fiction. His work has been featured in Southwest Review, Joyland, and Vice among other publications. Daytona Teddy Riggs is his first novel. Find him at drewbuxton.com.

“Teddy is in a downward spiral (think classic losers from Thelma and Louise to Richard Russo’s Hank Devereaux Jr.), but author Buxton allows him to develop as he falls, including a sexual awakening and nascent sense of purpose. These flickers of growth will keep readers rooting for Teddy even when he’s in the midst of irrational actions and complicated manipulations of friends and family members. Part satire, part wake-up call, and all openhearted perspective, this debut promises excellent work to come from its author.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review“Teddy means well despite his foibles, and Buxton gets readers to root for him even as the novel skewers the excesses of hypermasculine gym culture. This is a treasure.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review“Do we have humorists anymore? Buxton has some of the sharpest and funniest observations, bringing clever turns of phrases and moments that make you think, ‘Oh. OH! LOL!’ Teddy is such a treat to read.” —Debutiful“First-time Texas novelist Drew Buxton might add a new hero/anti-hero to the list of favorite Southern characters with Teddy Riggs.” —Chuck Reece, Salvation South“In this raucous debut novel, Drew Buxton gets in the ring with the likes of Harry Crews, Charles Portis, and Barry Hannah. Buxton’s prose is electric, full of language that vibrates on the page. Daytona Teddy Riggs is daringly perceived, psychologically penetrating, and funny as hell.” —William Boyle, author of Saint of the Narrows Street“With Daytona Teddy Riggs, Drew Buxton delivers an unforgettable new anti-hero to the forefront of America letters. Call him a ‘roided out Ignatius Reilly, a fast-food obsessed Holden Caulfield, a madcap Joe Lon. With taut, propulsive prose, Buxton yokes himself to your eyeballs from the jump, taking a hit of smelling salts and proceeding to drag them with unstoppable momentum through this tragicomic epic toward a climax that is as much beautiful as it is violent. File Buxton between the likes of Harry Crews and Terry Southern.” —Harris Lahti, author of Foreclosure Gothic“Fall in love with Daytona Teddy Riggs of Texas and find a true home in his adventures. Root for the naive Daytona even as he does the comically unforgivable in this deeply affecting and funny novel that brings to life his determination to become the World’s Strongest Man.” —Laura Albert (a.k.a. JT LeRoy), author of Sarah and The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things