The Cry of the Sloth

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Living on a diet of fried Spam, vodka, sardines, cupcakes, and Southern Comfort, Andrew Whittaker is gradually sinking into the depths of middle age. As a negligent landlord, small-time literary journal editor, and aspiring novelist, he is—quite literally—authoring his own downfall. This novel is a compilation of everything Whittaker records over four critical months, including letters, diary entries, fragments of fiction, grocery lists, and posted signs. Starting in July during the economic hardships of the Nixon era, we see him besieged by tenants and creditors, harassed by a loathsome local arts group, and tormented by his ex-wife. Determined to redeem his failures and confront his enemies, Whittaker devises a grand plan. However, as winter approaches, his troubles multiply, and the chaos of his life threatens to engulf him. His grip on reality weakens, and his increasingly wild schemes transform his self-image from a placid sloth to a frantic creature driven mad by solitude. In this tragicomic portrayal of a literary life, the author illustrates that all the evidence lies in the writing, and that true escape from the mind’s prison demands a commanding performance.