Author Description

Decò begins his journey in South Beach. He's a writer armed with "multiple graduate degrees" living a glorified condo-life off of "$400,000 in student loan debt." Life is great with his "super-hot model girlfriend" until the real estate market crashes and he quickly loses it all. Forced to move to the art haven of Wynwood, Decò seeks the success he has always felt he was owed. The over-the-top novel follows the protagonist's misadventures as he stumbles through the Magic City, mixing in with an assortment of bizarre Miamians and movements. Decò is a contemporary take on Voltaire's classic satire Candide. As in Candide, the plot is fantastical and picaresque, with characters exiting and returning, chapters are short and almost blog-like, and where Voltaire commented on philosophical optimism, Colagrande hilariously but sharply explores the tensions between American exceptionalism and American entitlement. "J.J. Colagrande returns to the page with his trademark aplomb and all-seeing journalistic eye. His dialogue is true and his intimate knowledge of Miami reveals a place seldom seen clearly—raw and teeming with underground hustle.” —Emma Trelles, author of award-winning Tropicalia "Colagrande takes readers on a ride into the raw and raucous heart of his hero’s Miami, full of outsiders and misfits chasing pleasures and disappointments; a wry, satirical look at modern life in the Magic City told through throbbing prose and a rebel's passion.” —Patricia Engel, author of New York Times notable Vida "You might find yourself revealed somewhere in the pages of this satire. And don't be offended if you do. It just means you actually made it in Miami." —Liz Tracy, music editor, New Times Broward Palm Beach