{"product_id":"south-hardcover-2","title":"South - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRichard Ploetz\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA mosaic of grief, a lifetime of love and loss, rendered with the cadence of Hemingway\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eSouth \u003c\/i\u003eis a novel about grief, marriage, artistic ambition, and the search for home. Told through interconnected stories and journal entries, it follows Bert Staub, an aspiring writer, and Trudy Steiner, a painter, from their first meeting in upstate New York through years in rural Vermont, New Haven, and New York City. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWithin their seemingly idyllic marriage, the fissures that were once obscured become evident as the couple grapples with the loss of their child in a premature birth. In the wake of this monumental loss, Bert and Trudy leave their hometown to live off the grid in rural Vermont, where the symptoms of unresolved grief begin to take their toll. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOver the next decade, Bert and Trudy's marriage steadily falters under the weight of monotony and unfulfilled ambition, and the American dream as envisioned by the two young idealists begins to lose its center. In an attempt to revitalize their youth, they depart to live as artists in 1980s New York City. As they struggle to come to terms with their persistent discontent--both with themselves and each other--the story delicately unfolds and, in the minutiae and depth of their experiences, articulates the neuroses of lives lived in quiet despair. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this devastating debut, Ploetz writes with intelligence and intoxicating honesty, reminding us of the essential beauty found not in righteousness or ambition, but in the complexity of the lives we live beneath our brittle ideals.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRichard Ploetz\u003c\/b\u003e is a playwright, poet, and novelist. He received an MFA in fiction from Columbia University and studied playwriting at the Yale School of Drama. He has published short stories and poems in \u003ci\u003eThe Quarterly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOuterbridge\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCrazy Quilt\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTimbuktu\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAmerican Literary Review\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHayden's Ferry\u003c\/i\u003e, among other literary magazines. In addition to his other work, Ploetz collaborated with the late comic book artist Clément Oubrerie on the children's book \u003ci\u003eThe Kooken \u003c\/i\u003eand the cartoon series \u003ci\u003eNedtoons\u003c\/i\u003e. Ploetz's plays have been produced in New York City at the WPA Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Theatre Genesis, La MaMa ETC, Emerging Artists Theatre, and Theater for the New City. He is a longtime writing instructor at the Lehman College Adult Learning Center. For additional information visit his website: www.richardploetz.com\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.1 x 9.1 x 6.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 26, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53425639063859,"sku":"9781648211997","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/4Kivkeo6jm9781648211997.webp?v=1780520054","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/en-ca\/products\/south-hardcover-2","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}