Awrylyfunnyandmovingnovelthatcapturesthecomplexitiesofmarriage,art,friendship,andthefictionswecreateinordertobecomethepeoplewewishtobe.Acreativewritingprofessoratathird-tiercollegeinupstateNewYorkisonhiswayhomefromasummerfellowshipinFrance,wherehe’sspentthelastthreemonthsloafingaroundBordeaux,tastingthemanyvarietiesofFrenchwineathisdisposal,anddoingjustaboutanythingbutactuallyworkingonhislongoverduenovel.AstopoverinBrooklyntoseehisandhiswife’sclosestfriends--John,ajadedpoet-turned-lawyerwithadubiousmoralcompass,andSophie,aonce-promisingfictionwriterwithacomplicatedpastandamysteriousallure--causesfurthertroublewhenheandSophiewindupsleepingtogetherwhileJohnisoutserenadingBrooklyncoedswithpoemsinsteadofpreparinglegalbriefs.Butinsteadofsuccumbingtohisfailuresasateacher,writer,andhusband,anoddfreedombeginstobubbleup.Couldaloveaffairbetheanswerhe’sbeensearchingfor?Coulditoffertheescapeheneedsfromthedepartmentchair,ChetBland,who’sbeenbreathingdownhisneck?Relieffromthegossipofcolleaguesandgenerationaltensionwithstudents?Respitefromembarrassmentoverhiswife,DebraCrawford,andhermeteoricriseasanovelist?Hisescapadesmightevenmaketheperfectrawmaterialforanabsolutelydevastatingnovel,whichwouldearnhimtenure,wealth,andcelebrity--everythingheneedstobesetforlife.Ifonlyhecouldbetheonetowriteit.Abrilliantcaseofartimitatinglife,AndrewEwell’sgemofadebutisahilariousandpoignanttourdeforcethataskswhoownswhosestory,skewersthefictionscreatedfromourlivesandothers’,andbringsawholenewmeaningtothephrase“publishorperish.“
