House of cards : love, faith, and other social expressions : a memoir

**A hilarious and honest memoir by an ex-greeting card writer, ex- virgin fundamentalist, and current __This American Life__ contributor.** When David Dickerson landed his dream job-at Hallmark writing greeting cards-he discovered his limited life experience as a fundamentalist- raised, 26-year-old virgin left him woefully unprepared for the worldly sentiments he was expected to deliver. Here, Dickerson chronicles his bumpy and hilarious journey to (relatively) modern single guy, confronting his past, his beliefs, his relationships, and his virginity. An original and hilarious memoir by an ex–greeting card writer, virgin fundamentalist, and This American Life contributor that chronicles how, in the belly of the "social expression" industry, he learned to love, thrive, and finally feel comfortable in his own skin.David Dickerson's dream is to write greeting cards—Valentine's Day, sympathy, and holiday cards. Greeting cards offer him the chance to indulge his gifted obsession with words, puns, and humor. But when he manages to win a coveted slot at Hallmark, he soon discovers his own limited life experience has left him unprepared for sentiments he writes about in his cards: As a fundamentalist-raised, twenty-seven-year-old virgin social misfit, he knows that his world is decidedly circumscribed.In House of Cards, Dickerson tells of his time at Hallmark and how the experience and the cast of characters he meets there open his eyes to a much larger and emotionally rich world. In comic and sometimes cringe-inducing detail, he chronicles his bumpy journey to maturity, from straitlaced evangelical Christian to (relatively) modern single guy. As Dickerson navigates supervisors and colleagues who don't understand him, he learns what it takes to connect with this new lot of personalities and how to write funny lines that resonate with the heart of America. Along the way he confronts his past, his beliefs, his relationships, even his virginity, as he ponders whether his struggle to stay true to the life he knows is worth it.Endearing and idiosyncratic, House of Cards is the very human story of one man who, step by step, stumble by stumble, embarrassment by embarrassment, finds his place in the world. Describes how the author's long-awaited dream job at Hallmark was challenged by his fundamentalist upbringing and social awkwardness that made it difficult for him to write relatable card sentiments