Calumet Editions

Circus Rex: A Novel

Author:

Doctor Buzz signs on as ringmaster of the one-ring Rex Terrestrial, Celestial & Nautical Circus—then steers a ragtag troupe from the Mississippi headwaters to New Orleans. Along the way: alcoholic camels, broken boats, chaotic cooks, and his own crisis of confidence—plus a shot at love if he chooses wisely. Loosely based on the author’s life, this comic novel blends poetic imagery, carny patter, and offbeat humor.

Enjoy the hell out of Loren’s brilliance as a storyteller.

—Hank Roubicek, Professor, Radio Personality, Storyteller and Author

Description

Little does Doctor Buzz know when he signs on as the Ringmaster and tour manager for the one-ring Rex Terrestrial, Celestial & Nautical Circus that he will not only be taking a ragtag collection of misfits on a six-month trip from the headwaters of the Mississippi to New Orleans, but that he will be dealing with alcoholic camels, broken down boats, too many or not enough cooks, and his own existential crisis of confidence. That and a chance to find the love of his life if he can just choose the right woman.

Loosely based on the author’s lived experience, this is not a memoir gone off the rails in which facts stand in awe of a good story, but an engaging fiction replete with poetic imagery, carny come-ons and offbeat humor.

Product Details

PublishedAugust 30, 2023
ImprintCalumet Editions
LanguageEnglish
Print length276
ISBN-13978-1960250933
Dimensions6 x 0.7 x 9 inches

If the Cliff Notes edition for Circus Rex existed, it would be useless. Simply do the easiest and most productive thing: Enjoy the hell out of Loren’s brilliance as a storyteller.

—Hank Roubicek, Professor, Radio Personality, Storyteller and Author

Yeah baby! You know how I feel. I wanna put on my tap shoes and give it a ride!

—Kevin Kling

Circus Rex is not only Loren Niemi’s best book, it’s also his most ambitious. Niemi is important to Midwestern writers because his clever wit helps remind the rest of the nation that you can live in “flyover country” and still have an edge. Who should read Circus Rex? Anyone who enjoys Johnathan Franzen and John Irving books. Anyone who enjoys the journey more than the outcome. Circus Rex is clever. Circus Rex is fresh. Circus Rex is one of the five best books you’ll read this year. Trust me…

—Danny Klecko, author of Hitman-Baker-Casketmaker, Lincolnland and The Dead Fitzgeralds