GIELGUD by Dan DeWeese
GIELGUD by Dan DeWeese
Don Geary, a single father and freelance graphic designer, barely manages to make ends meet as he works the margins of the churning creative economy in Portland, Oregon, during the Obama administration. Talented but solitary, sensitive but critical, Geary tries to make it through a season in which he monitors the rise of social media and local “thought leaders” from an increasingly desperate position.
When two venture capitalists hire him to be their “Gielgud”—a sober-minded employee they can trust to translate their flights of capital-fueled whimsy into a refined, market-ready product—it seems his career and financial troubles may be over. As he realizes the opportunity might not be what it seems, though, he also finds it increasingly difficult to ignore the messages that appear on his phone from a woman who may be a chance for something more substantial. In scenes of humor, anxiety, tenderness, and desire, Gielgud chronicles men and women who, in a world suddenly flooded with streaming video and nonstop commentary, quietly struggle through personal crises almost entirely unobserved.
Additional Information
Series: Propeller Books Fiction
ISBN: 9781955593137
Pages: 305
Original publication Date: December 2017
Second edition: January 2026
Paperback, 5.25 x 8 in.
Praise and Reviews
“There are no goofy ‘Portlandia’ moments here; rather, Gielgud comes across as a reality check for those who think the city’s been all but taken over by carefree creatives.” —Amy Wang, The Oregonian
“Living with [this] protagonist took me through panic and despair to kinship and catharsis—such is a year in the life of Don Geary, who doesn’t make anything easy on himself or those who care about him.” —Brian Juenemann, Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, Eugene Register-Guard
About the Author
Dan DeWeese's novel You Don't Love This Man was a finalist for the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction and a winner of Late Night Library's "Debut-litzer" Prize. Disorder, his story collection, was the inaugural title of the Oregon Book Club. His fiction has appeared in publications including Tin House, New England Review, Washington Square, and The Normal School, and he is Editor-in-Chief of Propeller. He lives in Portland, Oregon.