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Excerpts
Among other things, The Joy Divisions is a love letter to Allentown, PA. It attempts to do for the city what James Joyce did for Dublin in Ulysses, but a wee bit shorter, and a little less opaque (well, except for the "Overture" chapter of Part 2, Ch. 1). Part of the novel is Ed's coming to appreciate the complex history of his hometown, which he couldn't see when growing up there. Here are two excerpts that function as standalone stories that tell the history of parts of the city from the perspective of a very important time in Allentowns history.
Adelaide Mills
As his union rep tries to talk Ed into getting more involved, Stan tells him the history of Adelaide Mills, which became the site of Phoenix Clothes, where his parents worked.
Hess Brothers
This chapter tells the history of the Hess Brothers department store in downtown Allentown. It takes place in 1993, and out-of-towner Philos King tells local protagonist, Ed Pullman, the fascinating history that was right in front of him his whole life.
