Middle Men
Stories

Jim Gavin's debut collection of short fiction could as well be called "Down and out in greater Los Angeles". But even Down and Out in Paris and London had a George Orwell, who later went to write Animal Farm and 1984, immortalizing his name even for those who do no read. Gavin's stories don't have h......more

No one aspires to be a “middle man” – a low-paid assistant, a traveling salesman, a boy who lingers on the cusp of basketball greatness. Jim Gavin’s eight stories all focus on a man who knows, deep down inside, that he will not exit the world in a blaze of glory but gamely takes what life has to off......more

Jim Gavin is responsible for the wondrous alchemy that is Lodge 49, and thats why I was eager to read this book (which was written long before the show). That the book came up short - despite countless echoes with Lodge - was probably inevitable, in hindsight. Setting aside the different mediums, if......more

Poor middle men. What's the first thing you think of to complete this sentence? Let's --------- the middle men. Yup, eliminate! Or cut out! These short stories are drama, not comedy. All deal with men in the middle of the pack. Maybe it's the basketball team that they're so-so at. Or they graduated......more

I rarely read books of short stories, but this was great! The stories are about guys in their 20s who are flailing. Fucking up. They're funny, sad, and insightful. (Both the stories and the characters.) Very enjoyable.......more