THE BARFLY BOYS

About the Book

The Barfly Boys is a fast-paced thriller about the trials and tribulations of four young men in Charlottesville, Virginia trying to keep alive their dreams of rock 'n roll stardom. The book chronicles the lives of the Mean Streets band: Chris, the bass player and songwriter, struggling to keep his relationship with Sarah intact while being tempted with the excesses of a rock 'n roll lifestyle. Dutch is the rhythm guitar player who writes beautiful, lyrical poetry, but cannot find any beauty in his own life. Billy, the lead singer, has been beaten down by a hard factory life, abandoned by his mother, and carries a gigantic chip on his shoulder. Finally, the reader encounters Todd, the drummer, who is slowing descending into violent madness and schizophrenia as he confuses MTV with the book of Revelation in the Bible. In the end, readers will become emotionally attracted to these four "beautiful losers" who yearn to escape the stultifying confinement of small town life and the bitter road to nowhere.

About the Author

John D. Wells has been a Professor of Sociology at Mary Baldwin College since the late seventies, specializing in the topics of sex roles, drugs, and rock ?n roll. Dr. Wells has published numerous articles on the relationship between rock ?n roll performers and American society.

He was born in the middle of the coal mining region of the Appalachian mountains, moving and traveling to New York, San Francisco, California, Mexico, and the Far East before settling down to an academic career.