Hicksters

‘Hell yes to this exceptional collection of ferocious dispatches from an America that mostly gets flown over, talked over, stripped for parts, and then ignored until there’s something to blame it for . . . Hicksters is feral, foul, great-hearted, unflinching, and true’ JUSTIN TAYLOR, author of Reboot

‘Hicksters is singular and spectacular . . . an honest, gritty, and intimate view of a place and its people, their decline and resilience, pathos and pride, softness and steel core . . . entertaining, heartbreaking, down-to-earth, needle-sharp, wild, and wildly funny’ LAUREN ACAMPORA author of The Animal Room

‘Rough and tender stories — the wild kind you hear after everyone else at the party has stumbled off to sleep’ BUD SMITH, author of Teenager

Hicksters explores the lives of people straddling disparate worlds: urban and rural, addicted and sober, analogue and digital. A recovering addict debates whether to share her Suboxone with her wayward daughter. A heartsick young woman returns home and makes a move on her old science teacher. An adjunct professor spars with a red-pilled student, two buddies leverage hipster foodways to get laid, and a broke phone-sex worker contends with the aftermath of an insurance scam gone wrong.

With an impetuous style, a clear-eyed love for Appalachia, and plenty of shade for liberal piety, these stories illuminate contemporary rural life and challenge the urban gaze through which it is viewed. In Hicksters, Jake Maynard delivers an irreverent, provocative, and deeply felt collection that leads us toward a fuller understanding of Rust Belt America.