First published 2013
Mr. Wrenn walks down Fourteenth Street in New York City to visit the Nickelorion Moving-Picture Show. He passes many other theaters but chooses this one for a specific reason. The ticket-taker wears a bright blue coat with brass buttons and greets every customer. His nod feels warmer than any other in the city. Mr. Wrenn makes this journey because his evenings stretch long in a lonely furnished room. His days drain him at the Souvenir and Art Novelty Company, where he works as a sales-entry clerk. At thirty-four, he bends over bills and figures in a desk behind the stock-room. His colleagues know him as "Our Mr. Wrenn" in company letters. He wears plain blue suits and grows a small mustache that fails to impress. This meek bachelor finds himself caught between the stuffiness of his tedious job and the isolation of his personal life. His search for human connection drives him to seek out the one person who acknowledges him with genuine warmth.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: New York City, Fourteenth Street
Period: 1930s
132 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform