NOVELS
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Setting
Set in the late 1980s in a fictional Midwest college town, this novel is, among other things, a love story, a comedy of misunderstandings, a bildungsroman, and an academic satire. It invites us to explore the intricacies of racial, ethnic, religious and sexual identity and how we define ourselves and connect with others.
Plot and Characters
Julie, hiding her Jewish identity to fit in at college, is irritated with Asher, also a freshman, who wants everyone to know he’s Jewish. She bonds with Nellie, her African American roommate, who is deeply involved with Casey, daughter of the dean of students. Nick, a grad student, is smitten by Casey, while his frat brother, Jag, falls for Julie. A purloined ring, a campus protest, and an accusation of antisemitism lead to chaos and connection.
Some Background
A character in the novel says being Jewish is like The Eagles’ Hotel California—You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave. In recent years, I’ve felt like checking out of being Jewish as a result of the genocide carried out by descendants of the victims of another genocide, the unaccountable defense of Israel’s inhumane actions by the American Jewish establishment, and the absurd accusations of antisemitism leveled against people critical of what’s happening in Gaza. see more
Listen to a short reading from the novel
Listen to a short reading from the novel
Preview (read an extract)
Their affair began after they bumped into each other not long after they arrived at Traven University as graduate students. They knew each other slightly but intimately from a one-night stand years before, when they were undergraduates at Mount Belle College. They didn’t talk a lot then, and Nick suspected she had sought him out for the purpose of being relieved of her virginity. It wouldn’t have been the first time that kind of thing happened. see more
This book is available in paperback and digital format at Amazon
The idea behind this book
The Golden Ass, a story about a young man transformed into an ass written by Lucius Apuleius in the second century AD (possibly an adaptation of an earlier Greek work), is one of the oldest works of fiction that can be considered a novel. But it’s not just a venerable piece of literature – it’s a hoot to read. I thought so the first time I read it, and have had that opinion confirmed with each re-reading over the years. see more
Listen to a short reading from the novel
Listen to a short reading from the novel
Preview (read an extract)
I wasn’t always an ass. But that’s what I became, to my great sorrow and consternation. No use denying it or mincing words. An ass, plain and simple, is what I was. When I glimpsed my reflection in a muddy pool of water, I saw nothing but a brutish animal. Looking at me you would never guess the complex thoughts percolating through my mind or fathom the intricate workings of my brain. You wouldn’t know what memories I cherished or what hopes sustained me, or have an inkling of my true worth. To you I would be nothing but a thick-skinned, braying, four-legged beast with a shaggy, frazzled tail and pointy ears. see more
This book is available in paperback and digital format at Amazon
The story behind this book
Reading with my kids before bedtime when they were younger was one of the great pleasures of parenthood for me. It gave me the chance to read lots of books that I thoroughly enjoyed and an excuse to catch up on authors that I missed out on when I was younger. Reading together was always more than just reading. There were questions that popped up, explanations about words, places and events, digressions into personal matters and memories stirred up by what we were reading – all of which added immensely to the experience. see more
Listen to a short reading from the novel
Listen to a short reading from the no
Resources
This section provides information about poems, songs, people and events that play a role in the novel. Videos, audio clips and texts of matters referred to, from a poem by Frost to the Geneva Conventions to an aria from Rigoletto, can be viewed at the click of a button to promote understanding and enjoyment of the book. see more
Teaching Module
This 5-part module is for teachers and parents who would like to use this book or other works of fiction as a teaching tool. The first section introduces the pedagogical principles underlying the practical and specific activities and strategies presented in the other sections. Click the links below to access the sections.