American Corporate by Jeb Stewart
Harrison Publisher: Baby Bingus Books (Nov 27, 2018)
Category: Literary fiction, humor, family life
Tour dates: Apr/May, 2019
ISBN: 978-1986937863
Available in Print and ebook, 258 pages
Description American Corporate by Jeb Stewart Harrison
A playful, big-hearted tragicomedy in the Russo/Irving mold, American Corporate chronicles the misadventures of middle-aged Jack Sullivan and his family as they bounce across the country in search of gainful employment, domestic tranquility, and a few people they can trust. It is a story that working parents past, present and future will see as part of their own: the triumphs, the tragedies, the innocent mistakes and the not-so-innocent mistakes, and above all the forgiveness that keeps families together to face another challenge.
Praise Healing of Howard Brown by Jeb Stewart Harrison
“If you enjoy beautiful prose, complex themes of family and race, and a refreshingly original narrator, this book is for you. Harrison is among the select few contemporary fiction writers who still write for serious readers.” – Jim Heynen, author, best known for The One Room Schoolhouse , The Boys’ House, You Know What is Right , The Man Who Kept Cigars in His Cap and many more.
“This book starts off with a bang and keeps on going. Howard is a character with a specific voice and story. I’m sure you’ll be provoked and entertained.”- Jessica Barksdale Inclan, author of The Believe Trilogy, The Being Trilogy, and many more.
“In The Healing of Howard Brown, author Jeb Stewart Harrison weaves an intriguing contemporary literary. The author provides a wonderful mixture of drama, humor, and seriousness to the story that easily keeps the reader's interest as Howard's journey unfolds. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I really enjoyed the author's rich and vividly descriptive style of writing, especially the wonderful descriptions of the California and Louisiana settings. The Healing of Howard Brown is a thought-provoking contemporary literary tale that will draw you in, touch your soul, and leave a smile on your face.”- Kathleen Higgins-Anderson, Jersey Girl Book Reviews
“ I’m so happy that I read this book. It is beautifully written, wonderful imagery, and has such a heartwarming story as you follow along with Howard healing from the past. This is a wonderful story and one that I strongly recommend.”- jbronderbookreviews
“Jeb Stewart Harrison’s novel, THE HEALING of HOWARD BROWN brought to mind the novels of Roland Merullo, particularly, BREAKFAST WITH BUDDAH. Along the way, to his childhood home, and hopefully his sister, Howard finds more than expected and what he’s missing in the most unlikely places. The journey allows Howard to meditate on family relationships, issues such as love,life, death, fear and ultimately finding one’s personal peace. We the readers, if open, are able to learn from some of Howard, Mr. Booper and even the author, Jeb’s experiences.”- Cindy Roesel, Cindy Reads and Writes
Read an Excerpt!
Later, as the doctor showed Sullivan out, he asked if he might see his wife.
“She has asked to be alone for now, and said that she would let us know when she’s ready for visitors. I think it’s probably the right thing to do. Any trauma or stress could be quite damaging. Besides…” she said glancing at her watch with a wry smile, “It’s 2:30 in the morning. You should be in bed.”
Dejected but not nearly as hopeless as he might have normally been, Sullivan headed for home. Slowly he wound up the empty, narrow unlit roads over Connecticut hill and dale, rehearsing various explanations for Robbie and Lulu, when his headlights caught a sudden motion in the woods to his right. He slammed on the breaks, expecting an animal to dart across the road directly in front of him, but the Saab went into a slide on the snow packed pavement and swung around 180, smacking into something very large with the rear bumper.
Coming to a stop he leapt out of the car, his feet sliding out from under him and landing him on his ass in the road. He scrambled up, sliding, falling, sliding until he got a grip on the door handle and pulled himself up. He peered into the darkness but could see nothing, so, activating the flashlight on his smart phone, he carefully made his way around the Saab to the rear.
There, lying quietly on the snow-covered pavement, was a young doe, huge chuffs of steam blasting out of her flared nostrils.
Sullivan shone his light across the doe’s body, and, seeing no blood or mangled body parts, slowly brought the light around to the head. The doe did not stir, but her flanks were ballooning up and down wildly like a blacksmith’s bellows in the weak light. Sullivan shone his light across the doe’s face, eyes opened twice their size, glazed obsidian disks black as the night itself darting side-to-side in paralyzed fear. But no blood.
Sullivan wanted desperately to pet the big animal, to soothe and tell her everything was going to be all right, when he heard a rustling in the bushes where the doe must have emerged. He turned his flashlight to the sound and there, peering over the roadside snowbank were two fawns, frozen like yard ornaments watching their mother die.
Sullivan watched the fawns, then turned the light back to the mother who’s breathing seemed to be growing more and more belabored, and hung his head.
Two mothers in one day, he thought. He felt a giant sob welling up from the very core of his gut that, try as he might, he could not keep down. It came forth like a tsunami, bursting out of him in a hoarse, primeval bark loud enough to raise the dead, echoing from tree to tree through the black forest.
The doe jumped up, her bony legs tangled and crossed as her hooves slid on the icy surface, knocking Sullivan over and sending his smart phone skidding down the road. She scrambled off the road and leapt over the snowbank, her fawns watching in amazement, then following her, galumphing through the crusty snow with a crunch, schwoop, crunch, schwoop…
Sullivan lay back on the roadbed for a moment, the Saab’s headlights pointing down the road from whence he came, the flashlight phone twenty yards the other direction sending a weak beam skyward to the stars. He tried to get up but couldn’t—his frosty hands slid out from under him, then his feet, until finally he decided to just lay there and regroup for awhile.
The stars were so diamond sparkly that he felt like he was in an old Disney film and had just had a close encounter of the Bambi kind.
That doe was fucking with me.
But the more he thought about what had just happened, and what had happened only 12 hours prior, the better he felt.
The doe was obviously a sign from his new best friend, God, who upon Sullivan’s request appeared to be springing into action, albeit it a rather roundabout way.
Carrie is going to jump up all knock-kneed and bowl-legged just like that doe.
So Jack Sullivan just lay there in the middle of Peaceable Ridge Road, smiling, until he started to lose the feeling in his toes, and then, survival instinct now engaged, he managed to get to his car, turn it around, retrieve his wonder phone and slowly make his way home.
About Jeb Stewart Harrison
Award winning author, Jeb Stewart Harrison is a freelance writer, songwriter, musician and painter in San Rafael, California. After many years as an ad agency copywriter, writer/producer, creative director, and director of marketing communications, Jeb now writes fiction and creative non-fiction, along with commercial works for hire. Jeb’s debut novel, Hack, was published by Harper Davis Publishers in August 2012. In 2015 he received his MFA from Pacific Lutheran University at the tender age of 60. His second novel, The Healing of Howard Brown, won the 2017 Independent Press Award for literary fiction. His third novel, American Corporate, was published in November, 2018. He also records and plays electric bass guitar with the popular instrumental combo The Treble Makers, as well as Bay Area favorites Call Me Bwana. Jeb was born and raised in Kentfield, California, and has lived in Boulder, CO; Missoula, MT; Hollywood, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Indianapolis, IN; Ridgefield, CT and Stinson Beach, CA.
Website: https://www.jsh-creative.com/writing/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jebstewartharrison
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BabyBingus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JebdeLimboman
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jebhop/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jshcreativeinc/
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Guest Review!
American Corporate by Jeb Stewart Harrison
Guest review by Sol A.
I enjoyed this book so much that I will definitely read it again. The humor was great, the writing was well done and the story had a very strong plot and great pacing. I'm not normally interested in funny books but I'm so glad that I read this one. It is humor with substance.
The premise of the book—a man named Jack looks for a job in the corporate world, facing the pitfalls and craziness that quest would automatically bring with it, while also trying to reconnect with his distant wife—actually sounds quite sad. Somehow, Jeb Stewart Harrison does what all of the best humor writers do, taking an almost tragic premise and making it comedy.
Harrison's writing is witty, entertaining and skilled. There were so many absolutely zany situations that were set up in this book that kept me in stitches the whole time but it was also surprisingly touching and heartfelt in some moments. I loved the look at the corporate world and the parody that's not quite a parody of how insane some office bosses can be. The chapter about Software Division Boot Camp gave me vivid flashbacks to similar retreats I had to take when I worked in an office a few years back. The rousing speeches, the weird war-like vibe, the smell of too many people stuffed together in a room without AC. Ugh. This book was practically a memoir for me!
I wish I could give this more stars for the fun it gave me to read, but, alas, I only have 5. I highly recommend this to anyone who has ever worked in the corporate world. It couldn't be a better parody of trying to find a job as an office professional.
Giveaway American Corporate by Jeb Stewart Harrison
This giveaway is for the choice 3 print copies or ebook copies of the book , 1 copy per each of 3 winners. Print is available to Canada and the U.S. only but ebook is available worldwide. This giveaway ends on May 31, 2019 at midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only. a Rafflecopter giveaway
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