About the Book
Long Pants Under a Hot Sun is a novel centered on the African travels of Dublin Green, a 20 year-old student. The book begins with his flight over the Sahara, journaling about looking for the meaning of life. It’s 1997, and there are no cell phones, no email, just a continent with its own spin on everything from shopping to shooting. Moped taxis, drunk Norwegians, albinos, and yams with rat sauce intercept him as he struggles to balance what he wants from life with what he gets.
Despite his travels to muddy villages, fetish markets and mountain palm wine makers, Dublin never believes he’s finding the “true” Africa. He takes the hand of endless local characters who reach out to him, from a village elder who still sets the table for his deceased triplets every night to an obese Italian expatriate who cooks him macaroni and frog legs in exchange for a sponsorship letter to the embassy. He is never satisfied with the encounters, anxious about his vision of finding meaning in the world.
As Dublin leaves the continent, he feels Africa’s potential slipping away. Fed up with what he believes was a wasted effort, Dublin confronts the author and challenges the outcome of the book. The author bets Dublin he couldn’t do a better job, but still welcomes the challenge. Dublin writes an account of watching a motorcycle thief die at the hands of gendarmes as a replacement to the first chapter of the novel. It’s immediately followed by the author’s rebuttal, which is the last chapter of Long Pants Under a Hot Sun.
You can reach the author by filling out a short contact form on the About Me page.
FAQ
Is Long Pants Under a Hot Sun a completed novel?
You bet. It’s a complete and edited work of 116,000 words.
What genre is it?
Literary fiction. My influences are Tom Robbins, Paul Theroux, Richard Brautigan, Sherwood Anderson and Italo Calvino. But mostly Isabel Allende. And Brautigan.
Are you currently represented by a literary agent?
Nope. You’re in luck! Contact me here.
Long Pants Under a Hot Sun 
Matt, this is awesome!!!
Hi Matt,
Just checking this out. I’ll be interested to watch your progress!!!
(cousin) Linda
This novel sounds like it could be mind bending, which I like.
Just a little suggestion, you might want to add a link to the sidebar connecting to the first chapter. As a new reader, it takes a bit of work to get to the beginning.
Hi Cody – thanks for the recommendation! I added a link to the first chapter and all the other posted chapters on the sidebar.
Keep reading! And feel free to share the link with other people who like reading about Africa, Norwegians, drinking, blind farmers (later) and macaroni with frog legs (much later).
Matt
I loved the sample. This sounds fantastic…best of luck in your search for a literary agent and publication!
Thanks Julie! I appreciate the encouragement!