Planet of the Dates

by McComas, Paul

• ISBN13: 9781579621605
• ISBN10: 1579621600
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-02-01
• Publisher: Permanent Pr Pub Co

Summary

Planet of the Dates follows the exploits of Phil Corcoran, a girl-crazed Milwaukee teen stumbling toward adulthood in the summer of 1980. Phil's personal transition coincides with a cultural shift: from Carter to Reagan; from disco to punk; from the last gasp of the Age of Aquarius to the era of "Greed is good." As the story unfolds, Phil-himself very much a product of the '70s-winds up ushering in the new decade in some apt and telling ways. The book's rich cast of characters is anchored by a classic love triangle: the naïve yet willful Phil, a sci-fi fanatic and budding Super-8 auteur whose hormones and heart fuel myriad schemes for obtaining hot sex and true love (in no particular order); Stefanie Slocum, the clever teen actress-in-training who "auditions" our young hero for the role of firstever boyfriend; and Cheryl Jantz, the dazed yet desirable stoner-girl who's way too cool for the likes of Phil. . .or is she? The story builds to an audacious, nearepic climax that must be read to be believed. But believe it you shall, recognizing- with a chill and a chuckle-that this upside-down world is, in fact, our own world, and has been all along!

Author Biography

PAUL McCOMAS is the author of an acclaimed novel, Unplugged, and a story collection, Twenty Questions. A fictionwriting and film-studies instructor, he has edited two collections of his students' work, First Person Imperfect and Further Persons Imperfect. His films have appeared on PBS, been screened at festivals worldwide, and honored by the American Film Institute. When not at home in Evanston, Illinois, Paul traverses the planet, shooting movies, lecturing about writing, and performing monologues adapted from his work.