{"product_id":"the-meritocracy-quartet","title":"The Meritocracy Quartet","description":"Acclaimed writer Jeffrey Lewis is known for his deft portrayals of relatable figures from all walks of life. In \u003ci\u003eThe Meritocracy Quartet\u003c\/i\u003e, his four interlinking novels-\u003ci\u003eMeritocracy: A Love Story\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Conference of the Birds\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTheme Song for an Old Show\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eAdam the King\u003c\/i\u003e-have been brought together for the first time into a single volume. Set against the backdrop of the changing American landscape over four decades, \u003ci\u003eThe Meritocracy Quartet\u003c\/i\u003e is a testament to the country's evolving personality.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The quartet follows Louie, a Yale graduate from a modest background with a gift for forging connections in high and low places. Beginning in the 1960s, as he documents a going-away party for a fellow Yalie on his way to Vietnam, and continuing through his spiritual encounters with a 1970s group of city misfits, his turn to television writing in the 1980s, and a tragic love story between two of his close friends in the 1990s, Louie chronicles not only his own personal struggles-his silent love for his best friend's girl, his delicate relationship with an at-times absent father-but also the attitudes, events, and people that marked his generation. From the Vietnam War to George W. Bush, from television trends to the divide between the haves and have-nots, \u003ci\u003eThe Meritocracy Quartet\u003c\/i\u003e is a moving witness to everything America had to offer in the latter portion of the twentieth century.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Jeffrey Lewis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42818243690557,"sku":"9781908323453","price":29.66,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0597\/7689\/2989\/files\/9781908323453_81d49287-bda5-45f2-8215-31c65a8a0520.jpg?v=1766917343","url":"https:\/\/www.palmleaf.com.au\/products\/the-meritocracy-quartet","provider":"Palmleaf","version":"1.0","type":"link"}