Bad Publicity: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

In the twilight of the Reagan era, as prospects appear brighter than ever for a Democratic restoration, the lawyers, lobbyists, advisers and socialites of Washington are looking ahead -- but over their shoulders, too. With good reason. Charlie Dingleman, a former congressman, has gotten a tantalizing job offer that could rescue him from the drudgery of lawyering. But he's being shadowed by an increasingly unsavory rumor started by Judith Grust, a young associate at Charlie's firm. Judith has a few dark secrets of her own, like one she shares with Hank Morriday, a lazy, shiftless welfare policy expert. That helps to drive Hank into the orbit of Candy Romulade, a P.R. executive paralyzed by a dwindling client list. Then Candy signs up a veteran local anchorman, who has a very peculiar view of the world. As these men and women collide in a lusty, mad scramble, their savage ambitions and reversals of fortune test the idea that there's no such thing as bad publicity. The result, Bad Publicity, is a pitch-perfect, often poignant novel in the classic Swiftian mold.

Reviews

"A quick-witted satire about what it takes to succeed, and survive, in Washington...Frank's [Tom] Wolfe-ish wit will keep you wanting more." -- USA Today "Frank has painted an entertaining and very knowing portrait of Washington." -- The New York Times "Frank's prose is spare and vivid, with scarcely a wasted syllable; every sentence has a pop to it." -- The Washington Post "Frank's prose is as clear and cold as a well-iced martini, and lets the characters skewer themselves...The satire slyly exposes a Beltway world of has-beens and never-wases, where hopefuls scrabble for attention at cocktail parties and an unreturned phone call is a death knell." -- The New Yorker

Author Bio

Jeffrey Frank was a senior editor at The New Yorker and the deputy editor of the Washington Post's Outlook section. He is the author of four novels, including the Washington Trilogy-The Columnist, Bad Publicity, and Trudy Hopedale. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Diana. They have one son.