Deadpan follows the misadventures of a vaguely anti-Semitic West Virginia Buick dealer who wakes up one day to find himself transformed into the world’s most popular Jewish comedian. Steeped in magical realism, the narrative confronts the incandescent issue of our day: Identity, intolerance, and the value of free speech. The novel’s unfettered comical sensibility is a vivid testament to Mark Twain’s dictum “against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” Set during the world-wide oil crises of the 1970s, the narrative alternates between locations in West Virginia, Las Vegas, Washington, Tehran, and Sinai, featuring characters as diverse as Sarah Palin, Mel Brooks, and the Shah of Iran. Walter’s phantasmagorical tour-de-force is not only a satirical takedown of antisemitism (and bigotry in general) but also a dazzling celebration of human dignity, resilience, and humor.