Arcade - Softcover

Drew Smith has one of the most honest and original voices of any of our young novelists. He's willing to tear his guts out for uslike the greats doand remind us that, terrified and confused though we are, we're not alone. He's also hilariously funny and a beautiful stylist. Read this book! You will love itand its author. Clancy Martin, author of "Bad Sex" and "How to Sell: A Novel"
This is exactly the kind of anxious, obsessed literary filth that I've always wanted without knowing it. I loved reading "Arcade." Karl Taro Greenfeld, author of "Triburbia" and "Speed Tribes"
Intent, fearless, and funny, "Arcade" manages to reveal all, the novel captures a prism of human sexuality, its bliss and its ugliness and its ridiculousnessall at once. Michelle Wildgen, Executive Editor at "Tin House" and author of "Bread and Butter," "You re Not You," and "But Not For Long"
"Arcade" is a novel that reads with the authenticity and honesty of a memoir. Drew Smith has written a compelling tell-all about a man coming to terms with his sexuality in an unlikely place, a peepshow arcade. I couldn t stop reading it. It's a remarkable debut novel. Michael Kimball, author of "Big Ray, Us" and "Dear Everybody"
A keenly-observed meditation on the ins and outs of an adult video store, "Arcade" is a heartfelt love letter to a very unlikely place. Amy Fusselman, author of "The Pharmacist s Mate" and "8: All True: Unbelievable"
"
"A dark valentine to American men, mailed from a booth in a gay video store. Think Holden Caulfield, trapped in "The Last Picture Show." Sardonic, sad, and laugh-out-loud funny." Andrew Holleran
Smith has one of the most honest and original voices of any of our young novelists. He's willing to tear his guts out for uslike the greats doand remind us that, terrified and confused though we are, we're not alone. He's also hilariously funny and a beautiful stylist. Read this book! You will love itand its author. Clancy Martin, author of "Bad Sex"
This is exactly the kind of anxious, obsessed literary filth that I've always wanted without knowing it. I loved reading "Arcade." Karl Taro Greenfeld, author of "The Subprimes"
Obsessive, dark, and tender, "Arcade" investigates longing and modern loneliness with care, invention, and a complete lack of fear. Michelle Orange, author of "This Is Running for Your Life"
"I entered Arcade expecting to be shocked and wasby the beauty and humor with which Drew Nellins Smith captures a place that most often remains hidden. Peel off the metaphoric brown paper wrapper of "Arcade" and allow yourself to be titillated by his gorgeous prose." Lori Ostlund, author of "After the Parade"
Intent, fearless, and funny, "Arcade" captures a prism of human sexuality, its bliss and its ugliness and its ridiculousnessall at once. Michelle Wildgen author of "Bread and Butter"
"Arcade" is a novel that reads with the authenticity and honesty of a memoir. Drew Smith has written a compelling tell-all about a man coming to terms with his sexuality in an unlikely place, a peepshow arcade. I couldn t stop reading it. It's a remarkable debut novel. Michael Kimball, author of "Big Ray, Us" and "Dear Everybody"
A keenly-observed meditation on the ins and outs of an adult video store, "Arcade" is a heartfelt love letter to a very unlikely place. Amy Fusselman, author of "The Pharmacist s Mate""
"A thoughtful and beautifully written meditation on the bleach scented and neon lit world of anonymous sex in an adult video store. Drew leads us behind closed doors with a firm but gentle grip. Paul Kwiatkowski, author of "And Every Day was Overcast"
"A dark valentine to American men, mailed from a booth in a gay video store. Think Holden Caulfield, trapped in "The Last Picture Show." Sardonic, sad, and laugh-out-loud funny." Andrew Holleran
Smith has one of the most honest and original voices of any of our young novelists. He's willing to tear his guts out for uslike the greats doand remind us that, terrified and confused though we are, we're not alone. He's also hilariously funny and a beautiful stylist. Read this book! You will love itand its author. Clancy Martin, author of "Bad Sex"
This is exactly the kind of anxious, obsessed literary filth that I've always wanted without knowing it. I loved reading "Arcade." Karl Taro Greenfeld, author of "The Subprimes"
Obsessive, dark, and tender, "Arcade" investigates longing and modern loneliness with care, invention, and a complete lack of fear. Michelle Orange, author of "This Is Running for Your Life"
"I entered Arcade expecting to be shocked and wasby the beauty and humor with which Drew Nellins Smith captures a place that most often remains hidden. Peel off the metaphoric brown paper wrapper of "Arcade" and allow yourself to be titillated by his gorgeous prose." Lori Ostlund, author of "After the Parade"
Intent, fearless, and funny, "Arcade" captures a prism of human sexuality, its bliss and its ugliness and its ridiculousnessall at once. Michelle Wildgen author of "Bread and Butter"
"Arcade" is a novel that reads with the authenticity and honesty of a memoir. Drew Smith has written a compelling tell-all about a man coming to terms with his sexuality in an unlikely place, a peepshow arcade. I couldn t stop reading it. It's a remarkable debut novel. Michael Kimball, author of "Big Ray, Us" and "Dear Everybody"
A keenly-observed meditation on the ins and outs of an adult video store, "Arcade" is a heartfelt love letter to a very unlikely place. Amy Fusselman, author of "The Pharmacist s Mate"
"

"It s almost impossible to write directly and well about sex. It s almost impossible to be simultaneously deadly serious and extremely funny. It s almost impossible to be extraordinarily precise while giving off the effect and affect of slacker casual. In "Arcade," Drew Nellins Smith manages to do all these things. A minor miracle." David Shields, author of "How Literature Saved My Life"
"A thoughtful and beautifully written meditation on the bleach scented and neon lit world of anonymous sex in an adult video store. Drew leads us behind closed doors with a firm but gentle grip. Paul Kwiatkowski, author of "And Every Day was Overcast"
"A dark valentine to American men, mailed from a booth in a gay video store. Think Holden Caulfield, trapped in "The Last Picture Show." Sardonic, sad, and laugh-out-loud funny." Andrew Holleran
Smith has one of the most honest and original voices of any of our young novelists. He's willing to tear his guts out for uslike the greats doand remind us that, terrified and confused though we are, we're not alone. He's also hilariously funny and a beautiful stylist. Read this book! You will love itand its author. Clancy Martin, author of "Bad Sex"
This is exactly the kind of anxious, obsessed literary filth that I've always wanted without knowing it. I loved reading "Arcade." Karl Taro Greenfeld, author of "The Subprimes"
Obsessive, dark, and tender, "Arcade" investigates longing and modern loneliness with care, invention, and a complete lack of fear. Michelle Orange, author of "This Is Running for Your Life"
"I entered Arcade expecting to be shocked and wasby the beauty and humor with which Drew Nellins Smith captures a place that most often remains hidden. Peel off the metaphoric brown paper wrapper of "Arcade" and allow yourself to be titillated by his gorgeous prose." Lori Ostlund, author of "After the Parade"
Intent, fearless, and funny, "Arcade" captures a prism of human sexuality, its bliss and its ugliness and its ridiculousnessall at once. Michelle Wildgen author of "Bread and Butter"
"Arcade" is a novel that reads with the authenticity and honesty of a memoir. Drew Smith has written a compelling tell-all about a man coming to terms with his sexuality in an unlikely place, a peepshow arcade. I couldn t stop reading it. It's a remarkable debut novel. Michael Kimball, author of "Big Ray, Us" and "Dear Everybody"
A keenly-observed meditation on the ins and outs of an adult video store, "Arcade" is a heartfelt love letter to a very unlikely place. Amy Fusselman, author of "The Pharmacist s Mate"
"

"Smith has created a narrative that entrances its readers, constantly giving us excitement and depicting with audacity the rawness of sexuality... a daring and compelling debut that sheds light on a rather unusual lifestyle. A sexy and poignant novel." "Kirkus Reviews"
"It s almost impossible to write directly and well about sex. It s almost impossible to be simultaneously deadly serious and extremely funny. It s almost impossible to be extraordinarily precise while giving off the effect and affect of slacker casual. In "Arcade," Drew Nellins Smith manages to do all these things. A minor miracle." David Shields, author of "Reality Hunger: A Manifesto"
"A thoughtful and beautifully written meditation on the bleach scented and neon lit world of anonymous sex in an adult video store. Drew leads us behind closed doors with a firm but gentle grip. Paul Kwiatkowski, author of "And Every Day was Overcast"
"A dark valentine to American men, mailed from a booth in a gay video store. Think Holden Caulfield, trapped in "The Last Picture Show." Sardonic, sad, and laugh-out-loud funny." Andrew Holleran
Smith has one of the most honest and original voices of any of our young novelists. He's willing to tear his guts out for uslike the greats doand remind us that, terrified and confused though we are, we're not alone. He's also hilariously funny and a beautiful stylist. Read this book! You will love itand its author. Clancy Martin, author of "Bad Sex"
This is exactly the kind of anxious, obsessed literary filth that I've always wanted without knowing it. I loved reading "Arcade." Karl Taro Greenfeld, author of "The Subprimes"
Obsessive, dark, and tender, "Arcade" investigates longing and modern loneliness with care, invention, and a complete lack of fear. Michelle Orange, author of "This Is Running for Your Life"
"I entered Arcade expecting to be shocked and wasby the beauty and humor with which Drew Nellins Smith captures a place that most often remains hidden. Peel off the metaphoric brown paper wrapper of "Arcade" and allow yourself to be titillated by his gorgeous prose." Lori Ostlund, author of "After the Parade"
Intent, fearless, and funny, "Arcade" captures a prism of human sexuality, its bliss and its ugliness and its ridiculousnessall at once. Michelle Wildgen author of "Bread and Butter"
"Arcade" is a novel that reads with the authenticity and honesty of a memoir. Drew Smith has written a compelling tell-all about a man coming to terms with his sexuality in an unlikely place, a peepshow arcade. I couldn t stop reading it. It's a remarkable debut novel. Michael Kimball, author of "Big Ray, Us" and "Dear Everybody"
A keenly-observed meditation on the ins and outs of an adult video store, "Arcade" is a heartfelt love letter to a very unlikely place. Amy Fusselman, author of "The Pharmacist s Mate"
"

A sexy, amusing, and thoroughly engrossing slice of gay fiction that is impressively accomplished for a debut. It's also a highly auspicious beginning for a Texas writer with certain promise. "The Bay Area Reporter"
"In his debut novel "Arcade," Smith explores the underground world of an adult video store where gay men cruise for casual sex and enjoy XXX peepshows. Here Smith examines the power cruising has in making us rethink our identities and to help us reconcile with our sometimes troubled pasts." "Out Magazine"
"The novel is funny and chilling by turns, and because of its subject matter, necessarily dark." "The Los Angeles Times"
"A book that is both incredibly American and incredibly gay... The sex in the novel is nothing short of splendiferous deserving of the word in that it is varied, fascinatingly intimate at times and completely detached at others." "Electric Literature"
"Smith has created a narrative that entrances its readers, constantly giving us excitement and depicting with audacity the rawness of sexuality... a daring and compelling debut that sheds light on a rather unusual lifestyle. A sexy and poignant novel." "Kirkus Reviews"
"It s almost impossible to write directly and well about sex. It s almost impossible to be simultaneously deadly serious and extremely funny. It s almost impossible to be extraordinarily precise while giving off the effect and affect of slacker casual. In "Arcade," Drew Nellins Smith manages to do all these things. A minor miracle." David Shields, author of "Reality Hunger: A Manifesto"
"Sharp and funny...Smith gives us a book-long vivid voyeuristic thrill. Karen Schechner, "Lambda Literary"
It s difficult to imagine a book as vivid, sexually frank, unflinching, and poignant as "Arcade." Matthew Patin, "Kirkus Reviews"
What Smith accomplishes with his debut novel is what masters of literature spend their entire lives doing. Randall S. Frederick, "Sexuality and the City"
"A thoughtful and beautifully written meditation on the bleach scented and neon lit world of anonymous sex in an adult video store. Drew leads us behind closed doors with a firm but gentle grip. Paul Kwiatkowski, author of "And Every Day was Overcast"
"A dark valentine to American men, mailed from a booth in a gay video store. Think Holden Caulfield, trapped in "The Last Picture Show." Sardonic, sad, and laugh-out-loud funny." Andrew Holleran
Smith has one of the most honest and original voices of any of our young novelists. He's willing to tear his guts out for uslike the greats doand remind us that, terrified and confused though we are, we're not alone. He's also hilariously funny and a beautiful stylist. Read this book! You will love itand its author. Clancy Martin, author of "Bad Sex"
This is exactly the kind of anxious, obsessed literary filth that I've always wanted without knowing it. I loved reading "Arcade." Karl Taro Greenfeld, author of "The Subprimes"
Obsessive, dark, and tender, "Arcade" investigates longing and modern loneliness with care, invention, and a complete lack of fear. Michelle Orange, author of "This Is Running for Your Life"
"I entered Arcade expecting to be shocked and wasby the beauty and humor with which Drew Nellins Smith captures a place that most often remains hidden. Peel off the metaphoric brown paper wrapper of "Arcade" and allow yourself to be titillated by his gorgeous prose." Lori Ostlund, author of "After the Parade"
Intent, fearless, and funny, "Arcade" captures a prism of human sexuality, its bliss and its ugliness and its ridiculousnessall at once. Michelle Wildgen author of "Bread and Butter"
"Arcade" is a novel that reads with the authenticity and honesty of a memoir. Drew Smith has written a compelling tell-all about a man coming to terms with his sexuality in an unlikely place, a peepshow arcade. I couldn t stop reading it. It's a remarkable debut novel. Michael Kimball, author of "Big Ray, Us" and "Dear Everybody"
A keenly-observed meditation on the ins and outs of an adult video store, "Arcade" is a heartfelt love letter to a very unlikely place. Amy Fusselman, author of "The Pharmacist s Mate"
"

One of Time Out New York's Best Books of the Summer
"If you re a fan of conflicted characters who struggle with identity and desire, then this novel is for you. The story begins with a breakup and escalates with the discovery of a peep show that, from the outside, appears to be just a cruising hot spot but is eventually revealed as an embodiment of desire and self-image. Emy Rodriguez, Time Out New York
One of Out Traveler's Recommended Beach Reads
A sexy, amusing, and thoroughly engrossing slice of gay fiction that is impressively accomplishe...

Following a breakup, a curious young man begins frequenting the peepshow stalls of a sex shop where men meet for anonymous trysts. Situated on the outskirts of a small Texas town, the Arcade is both sleazy and sterile, utterly terrifying and yet totally safe. It is a good fit for our guileless hero, who - as demonstrated by his unrequited love of a closeted cop and fussy sexual habits - is a fundamentally contradictory character himself.

For our nameless narrator the arcade becomes a crash course in anonymous sexual etiquette. Buying tokens, lurking in the stalls, recognizing the approaches and petitions of potential hook-ups, he dabbles cautiously.

While the cop starts a new life with a teenage boyfriend known only as the Kid, our hero's dead-end job as a motel desk clerk leaves him with little else to do but think about sex, have sex, or watch others have sex - his only real friend being Malcolm, a man he’s never met in person but who talks to him on the phone (first for phone sex; and then for friendship and phone sex).

As his adventures within the arcade leak into craigslist and road side hookups, our increasingly debauched hero must eventually confront whether his time at the arcade is just the passing phase that his family insists it is, or perhaps, the gateway to a new way of life.