“The Joy Divisions” (244 pages; Tailwinds Press; paperback $18; audiobook $9.49; 2023) by Scott Dimovitz takes place primarily in Allentown in 1993, bringing together a student dropout, goth teens, drag queens, neo-Nazis, and faith healing, contrasted with factory workers, labor struggles and a large dose of local history.

Dimovitz was born in Allentown and lived there until he was 24. He attended Trexler Middle School and William Allen High School, graduating from Kutztown University with degrees in English Literature and Psychology.

“Allentown is a character in the book. It represents a transformation in America and in the world in general when the book takes place,” Dimovitz says in a phone interview from his home in Denver, Col.

“There were a lot of changes then: NAFTA, Waco and the Branch Davidians, and the collapse of the World Trade Center.”

Dimovitz received an MA and PhD in English and American Literature from New York University. He is Chair and Professor of English at Regis University, Denver. He specializes in modern and postmodern literature, postcolonial literature, psychoanalytic theory and gender studies.

He calls “The Joy Divisions” a post-postmodern novel, combining postmodern and contemporary techniques.

Postmodern is a flexible term, and might indicate that “The Joy Divisions” is overly academic. It isn’t, though. It is anchored by a crisp writing style with relatable characters.

Dimovitz uses his knowledge of English literature to introduce different styles in the book. It will switch into present tense. There are sections with internal dialogues. There are short diversions about politics, Marxism and biology.

And there are long stretches of non-fiction. Dimovitz inserts articles from The Morning Call newspaper and historic photographs to enhance the background. There is a history of the iconic Hess’s center city Allentown department store, which anchors the book’s dramatic climax.

Dimovitz says he has been most influenced by James Joyce and William Faulkner. Although he does not use the complex and often difficult writing style of those authors, he shows how landscape and environment can shape people.

“Joyce said he hated Dublin, but he wrote about it for the rest of his life,” says Dimovitz.

Dimovitz does not hate Allentown, but he notes its influence on him: “It has a vibrant history and I wanted to write about what underlies it.”

He has noted many changes when he revisits the city. “It feels very different than when I grew up there. There is a lot of revitalization,” Dimovitz says.

The novel’s title comes from the post-punk band Joy Division. Music underlies much of the book. Dimovitz created a Spotify playlist for the novel for the background of the lives of its Gen-X youths.

“One of the characters is trying to get rid of all boundaries, but it turns out that some boundaries are good.

“I thought up the idea for the novel years ago when I was in college. I walked down Hamilton Street and copied down everything I saw there.

“It turned out that I wrote about many things that are now closed. Some of the characters are people I grew up with and some are wholly fictional.”

Dimovitz’s previous book, “Angela Carter: Surrealist, Psychologist, Moral Pornographer,” is about the English novelist and short story writer.

His next book will be “(Post)Apocalypse Now! Postmodern Literature at the End of Time,” covering how religious symbolism and the Apocalypse are seen in modern literature.

A future novel will have one of the characters in “Joy Division” moving to Denver as a middle-aged woman.

“Literary Scene” is a column about authors, books and publishing. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com