The Franchiser

A tragicomic journey across America as one man attempts to create a fast food empire, and a legacy to leave behind.

From the prolific and peerless Stanley Elkin, The Franchiser follows Ben Flesh--one of the men ＂who made America look like America, who made America famous.＂ He collects franchises, traveling from state to state, acquiring the brand-name establishments that shape the American landscape. But both the nation and Ben are running out of energy. As blackouts roll through the West, Ben struggles with the onset of multiple sclerosis, and the growing realization that his lifetime quest to buy a name for himself has ultimately failed.

Stanley Elkin (1930-1995) was an award-winning author of novels, short stories, and essays. Born in the Bronx, Elkin received his BA and PhD from the University of Illinois and in 1960 became a professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis where he taught until his death. His critically acclaimed works include the National Book Critics Circle Award-winners ＂George Mills＂ (1982) and ＂Mrs. Ted Bliss＂ (1995), as well as the National Book Award finalists ＂The Dick Gibson Show＂ (1972), ＂Searches and Seizures ＂(1974), and ＂The MacGuffin＂ (1991). His book of novellas, ＂Van Gogh’s Room at Arles,＂ was a finalist for the PEN Faulkner Award.