Conference of the Birds -- Paperback / softback

It is the late '70s in Manhattan and God is dead. A group of people come together to explore the void left behind. Among them are the shy and sweet-natured Bobby, a gifted cartoonist and the group's mascot; Maisie, the acid-tongued rich girl who is fighting a two-front war against mental instability and Hodgkin's disease; and more.