The Virgin : A Novel - Softcover

"A deadpan wit and surprising heart that will remind readers of Nick Hornby. . . The Virgin scores big."
- Kurt Wenzel, author of Lit Life and Gotham Tragic

"A dazzling literary debut that will catapult Erik Barmack to the front rank of contemporary authors. The Virgin isn't simply a novel about a reality show. It's about the search for authenticity and meaning in our media-saturated, fame-obsessed culture."
- Toby Young, author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People: A Memoir

"If Nathanael West and Brett Easton Ellis had a child, he might be Erik Barmack. . . The Virgin is quirkily, compulsively original."
- Tama Janowitz, author of Peyton Amberg and Slaves of New York

"A wry, clever satire of pop culture's current infatuation with humiliation and triumph."
- Rebecca Godfrey, author of The Torn Skirt

"An engaging exploration of the crisis of authenticity in our Televisual Age. With its shimmering surface and its undertow of despair and disorientation, The Virgin reads like an updated Bright Lights, Big City."
- Chris Bachelder, author of Bear v. Shark: The Novel

"The Virgin is a taut, gripping read from start to finish. Erik Barmack skewers the reality show industry with panache, intelligence, and a surprising amount of heart."
- Aaron Hamburger, author of The View from Stalin's Head

"The Virgin is an extremely well-written psychological exploration of our reality TV culture. Erik Barmack takes us very authentically behind the scenes and into the minds of people looking for love in public places. Imaginative, dark, and often uncannily accurate and insightful, this book is not to be missed. Read it!"
- Alex Michel, The Original "Bachelor"

Erik Barmack's short stories, essays, and articles have appeared in numerous publications such as The Sporting News and The Atlantic Monthly Online. Born in 1973 and raised in Portland, Oregon, he holds degrees from Stanford University and the University of Michigan, where he received a Hopwood Award in creative writing. He lives in Brooklyn.