At twenty-six, Brian Schwan is washed up. Four years hacking away on third-rate golf courses across the South have produced a grand total of $19,000 in earnings, zero wins, and a string of spectacular tournament flame-outs. He's just shot a horrendous opening round, his wife wants him to come home and start a family, and even his father, who dreamed of seeing his son a star golfer, seems to have given up on his game. Critically acclaimed, Spikes is a sharply observed novel about the obscurity of our motivations, our ...
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At twenty-six, Brian Schwan is washed up. Four years hacking away on third-rate golf courses across the South have produced a grand total of $19,000 in earnings, zero wins, and a string of spectacular tournament flame-outs. He's just shot a horrendous opening round, his wife wants him to come home and start a family, and even his father, who dreamed of seeing his son a star golfer, seems to have given up on his game. Critically acclaimed, Spikes is a sharply observed novel about the obscurity of our motivations, our capacity for self-delusion, and the surprising, unexpected possibilities for grace. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction--novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
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Add this copy of Spikes to cart. $8.59, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Arcade Publishing.
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Fair. Book is considered to be in acceptable condition. The actual cover image may not match the stock photo. Book may have one or more of the following defects: noticeable wear on the cover dust jacket or spine; curved dog eared or creased page s; writing or highlighting inside or on the edges; sticker s or other adhesive on cover; CD DVD may not be included; and book may be a former library copy.
Add this copy of Spikes: a Novel to cart. $11.28, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Arcade Publishing.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Spikes to cart. $12.04, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Arcade Publishing.
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Very Good. Very Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp.
Add this copy of Spikes to cart. $12.04, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Arcade Publishing.
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Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add this copy of Spikes to cart. $13.09, good condition, Sold by The Yard Sale Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Narrowsburg, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Recorded Books.
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Good. Seven RELIABLE audio cassettes withdrawn from the library. Some shelf wear and library markings to the box and the cassettes. Some sticker removal mark to the back cover. The audio tapes are sturdy and presentable in the clamshell case published by Recorded Books. Enjoy this UNABRIDGED audio performance!
Add this copy of Spikes to cart. $16.90, good condition, Sold by The Yard Sale Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Narrowsburg, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Recorded Books.
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Good. 9 AUDIO CD PERFORMANCE withdrawn from the library collection. WE WILL POLISH the Audio CDs for a smooth listening experience. You will receive a RELIABLE set. Enjoy this presentable Audio CD edition for your home and library.
Add this copy of Spikes to cart. $16.95, good condition, Sold by The Yard Sale Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Narrowsburg, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Recorded Books.
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Good. 7 AUDIO CASSETTES UNABRIDGED published by RECORDED BOOKS, withdrawn from the library collection. Some library marking. We will test each cassette for reliable sound quality. You will receive a good set. Enjoy this presentable AUDIO CASSETTE performance.
Add this copy of Spikes. a Novel to cart. $22.00, like new condition, Sold by Thomas Dorn, ABAA rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Canton, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by NY: Arcade Publishing (2001). 1st ed..
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As New. Dust Jacket Included. Inscribed by Author(s) 8vo. 258 pp. INSCRIBED to author and reviewer Bill Starr on the title page by Griffith. This is a tight, fine book in a bright, fine DJ.
Add this copy of Spikes to cart. $119.45, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from San Diego, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Arcade Publishing.
Add this copy of Spikes; a Novel to cart. $132.00, very good condition, Sold by Ground Zero Books, Ltd. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Silver Spring, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Arcade Publishing.
Edition:
First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated]
Publisher:
Arcade Publishing
Published:
2001
Language:
English
Alibris ID:
17705649137
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Very good in Very good jacket. [10], 258, [4] pages. Inscribed by the author on the title page. Inscription reads To Jane--Michael Griffith. DJ is in a plastic sleeve. A intelligent first novel set on the minor league golf circuit follows a has-been twenty-something golfer on a last-ditch tour through the South. Michael Griffith is an American novelist and short story writer. His stories and essays have appeared in literary journals such as The Oxford American, The Southwest Review, Salmagundi, and The Virginia Quarterly Review, among others. Griffith received a Master of Fine Arts from LSU in Baton Rouge, and is the former associate editor of The Southern Review. He now works as a professor of creative fiction writing at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio and teaches fiction writing at the Sewanee School of Letters at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. His published works include the novel Spikes out in 2001 as well as a novella plus collected stories entitled Bibliophilia released in 2003. Both works are published by Arcade Publishing. The Speaking Stone: Stories Cemeteries Tell, "a literary love letter to the joys of wandering graveyards, " was published by the University of Cincinnati Press in April 2021. At twenty-six, Brian Schwan is washed up. Four years hacking away on third-rate golf courses across the South have produced a grand total of $19, 000 in earnings, zero wins, and a string of spectacular tournament flame-outs. He's just shot a horrendous opening round, his wife wants him to come home and start a family, and even his father, who dreamed of seeing his son a star golfer, seems to have given up on his game. Critically acclaimed, Spikes is a sharply observed novel about the obscurity of our motivations, our capacity for self-delusion, and the surprising, unexpected possibilities for grace. Derived from a Kirkus review: Comic, allegorical first novel in which a bumbling contender learns that even if golf is a poor substitute for life, life has its moments. After four years of progressively worsening scores, Brian Schwan realizes that his dream of being a professional golfer has sunk into the sand trap of no return. Finishing shamefully behind his rival, the dashing South African autodidactic ornithologist Jim "Bird" Soulsby, Schwan retires to a seedy motel room, where he doesn't even succeed in drinking himself into oblivion. Instead, he lets fly some rants about how he has failed everyone: Dad, who lived his dreams of golfing glory through his son; Mom, who didn't complain when Brian ducked an art history major at college to try his luck on the pro circuit; and Rosa, Brian's adoring, born-again wife, who has tirelessly supported him but now wants to have a child. When he runs into a pretty TV newswoman who wants to interview Bird Soulsby, Schwan gives into "bad craziness" and pretends to be his rival, then arranges a liaison with the reporter that promises to put him in her bed. But who should invade the post-game flirtation at a picturesque Charleston, South Carolina, tavern but Soulsby himself...pretending to be Schwan. While Schwan fumbles and mopes, Soulsby dazzles the reporter with his wit and erudition, leaving Schwan to ponder if, by pretending to be him and walking off with his date, Soulsby might be demonstrating that pretension, like faith, can loosen up a stiff swing. By chance, Soulsby and Schwan are again paired off the next day, with Schwan's father watching on the sidelines, for a game in which Schwan discovers why golf attracts so many people who believe in miracles. A funny, winning portrait of the artist as a frustrated, helpless, but not completely hopeless young duffer.
