Human Amusements

Offering further evidence of his astounding range as a novelist, the bestselling author ofThe Colony of Unrequited DreamsandThe Navigator of New Yorkcrafts a hilarious and moving paean to the dawn of the television age. Henry Prendergast grew up on televisionnot merely watching it, but starring in the wildly popular children's show "Rumpus Room." Cast in the roles of Bee Good and Bee Bad by his mother Audrey, the show's creator, Henry came of age along with the new mediumone that would soon propel his family out Toronto's middle-class life and into the tabloids. Henry's father Peter, a would-be novelist, refuses to have any part in his wife's burgeoning television empire, but commits himself instead to the task of being a walking, talkingmostly scathingreminder of the family's "humble beginnings." Then, on the heels ofRumpus Room,Audrey dreams upThe Philo Farnsworth Show,loosely based on the life story of the young teen credited with inventing the tube and starring Henry in the lead role. Rapidly amassing a cult-like following of "Philosophers," the show challenges the Prendergasts anew. Forced into increasing isolation by a fervent media, they must work harder than ever to not let success get the best of them.

Wayne Johnston is the author of several novels, including <b>The Colony of Unrequited Dreams</b><i> </i>and <b>The Divine Ryans</b><i>, </i>and the memoir <b>Baltimore’s Mansion</b><i>. </i>He was born and raised in Newfoundland and now lives in Toronto.