Lost American Writer

I've written here before about Don Robertson, the author of the Morris Bird trilogy, which includes "The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread," "The Sum and Total of Now," and "The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened." It is still my fervent belief that this trilogy is something special in American literature, a truly unique and utterly accurate portrayal of the coming of age of a young boy. The coming of age story is a classic structure, but few writers pull it off convincingly. Robertson seems to do so with ease, delving into truths and mysteries few writers dare to touch.

His trilogy is, I argue, better than the more highly lauded "Catcher in the Rye," and is without question the equal of "To Kill a Mockingbird." That Robertson's work is wholly ignored today, that he is a great "lost writer," is a sad and unfortunate circumstance.

I have recently finished another Robertson novel, "A Flag Full of Stars," which takes place almost entirely upon election day during the presidential election of Harry Truman. If anyone recalls their history, Truman, who was the incumbent president, was not merely supposed to lose to the challenger Dewey, but to be roundly and solidly whipped. Every single polling agency in the country predicted President Truman going down in flames and the Republican party taking over the government. In fact, Truman won, the Democrats won, and Dewey became but a footnote in history. It was one of the greatest upsets in American politics.

Robertson's novel follows a vast cast of characters, many of whom have loose ties with each other, their lives having swerved together and apart throughout the years. But few of these characters actually collide on election day. Instead, Robertson follows this panorama throughout the day, showing in detail the lives of his dozen-plus characters, all of whom will be touched in ways either great or small by Truman's election.

Robertson does not try and make a case for politics as transformation. Most of his characters undergo no "ah-ha!" moment when Truman is elected. Some, in fact, are nearly oblivious to politics in general, and Truman's election does not induce an overwhelming redirection in their lives.

Instead, Robertson aims to show how politics interweave into the everyday lives of ordinary people. How the hopes and dreams of normal Americans are subtly altered by the political world. More importantly, by juxtaposing national politics with everyday life, Robertson illustrates how all politics are local. How politics begin, and often end, inside the small community, inside the home, inside the bedroom, and inside the mind. Also, by choosing Truman's election, Robertson aptly focuses on a defining American moment when all eyes were turned in the same direction, and in doing so he shows us how, in spite of our differences, we are all Americans. There are few such moments: Pearl Harbor, September 11th, Kennedy's assassination...it is to Robertson's credit, I think, that he chooses not a travesty (unless, perhaps, you're a Republican) but a powerful, social moment devoid of tragedy. He could have written a similar panoramic novel around, say, Lincoln's assassination or the 1929 stock market crash, but the tone and result would have been vastly different.

Where Robertson excels is in getting you to care about his characters. He does so in old fashioned ways. He gives you tremendous detail and information, but always in a way that is entertaining and thoughtful. His humor is present throughout, as is his pathos. Even his most pathetic characters retain some level of dignity, and it is the sign of Robertson's mastery that he can keep you hanging on whether he is writing about a pregnant teenage girl running away from home to a shotgun marriage or a bitter middle-aged wife encouraging her cheating husband to run for office in the hope that he will lose.

Don Robertson is a great American writer. He is also, sadly, a nearly-forgotten American writer. I don't know that you will be able to find "A Flag Full of Stars." It is currently out of print, but you might be able to locate it through a library loan. If you can't, Robertson's Morris Bird trilogy has been re-issued and can be found at any major bookstore. I would urge you to start there. "The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread" is an out and out masterpiece.

Good luck.