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The Poorhouse Fair was the first novel by the American author John Updike. A second edition included an introduction by the author and was slightly revised.
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Edward Goreys off-kilter depictions of Yuletide mayhem and John Updikes wryly jaundiced text examine a dozen Christmas traditions with a decidedly wheezy ho-ho-ho. 1. Santa: The Man. Loose-fitting nylon beard, fake optical twinkle, cheap red suit, funny rummy smell when you sit on his lap. If hes such a big shot, why …
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Toward the end of the Vietnam era, in a snug little Rhode Island seacoast town, wonderful powers have descended upon Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie, bewitching divorcées with sudden access to all that is female, fecund, and mysterious. Alexandra, a sculptor, summons thunderstorms; Jane, a cellist, floats on the air; and …