Plight of the Poet
the writing of Bailey Stone Barnard
Modern Disparity—a novel in four parts—chronicles the narrator's autofiction adventures in luxury and self-discovery amid the Great Recession, Arab Spring, and Occupy Movement.
Modern Disparity
Part Two: City of Wayward Angels
Where things were initially going so well for our protagonist, they now seem to be falling apart.
The Great Recession has taken its toll on his ability to sustainably live beyond his means, despite the extravagances his rising position at the luxury magazine continually affords him. But what’s more unfortunate is that his sexual affair with the bone fide Malibu cougar begins spiraling, his forlorn behavior toward the unrequited love of his life becomes increasingly desperate, and now mental illness and other more sordid forms of madness seem to be piling up around him. While narrowly succumbing to the pitfalls of being one’s own worst enemy, he also finds himself in a bit of trouble that quite literally threatens his very existence.
No, this isn’t the end for our poor protagonist, but it is certainly the end of the beginning.
Part One: 26 Miles of Scenic Beauty recounts the narrator's time in Malibu working for a luxury magazine while making meager editorial wages, struggling to keep his beachside guest apartment, pining after an old high school flame, and starting an affair with a bona fide Malibu cougar.
And that's just the beginning.
Modern Disparity
Part One: 26 Miles of Scenic Beauty
Life seems pretty good for our protagonist.
The Iowa native and aspiring writer arrives in Malibu, California, for an assistant editor job at a well-known luxury magazine, which comes with myriad perks, from expensive sports cars to lavish vacations. The recent college graduate is handsome, outgoing, and hardworking—but it’s August 2007, the global economy is about to implode, and he starts an affair with an older woman who’s married to a prominent film producer. He’s also in love with a fellow Iowa transplant who will never fully reciprocate his affections. But those are the least of his problems.
His womanizing and substance abuse fuel his self-destructive nature as he attempts to navigate the Great Recession while clinging to the fringes of extreme luxury, living well beyond his means, and clumsily finding his way to becoming a very famous author.