Old School by Tobias Wolff

Wolff, T.  (2004).  Old School.  New York: Vintage Contemporaries.  ISBN 0375701494

Plot Summary 

At a boys' boarding school, an anonymous narrator and aspiring author competes three times throughout the year in writing competitions to win a meeting with a visiting famous author of the time. After various boarding school missteps, the narrator attempts to win a meeting with Ernest Hemingway by plagiarizing a story from a nearby girls' school, and he does. His attempts to hide his subterfuge have a chance at succeeding, but what does that mean to his aspirations as a writer.

Critical Evaluation 

This book is set up in a very linear, straightforward fashion and repeats itself in structure; a new author is announced, the boys attempt to compose a fitting work, the author arrives, and a winner is selected. This structure belies larger issues in the book though. Larger problems of gender roles and perceptions can be looked over, but are prevalent. There is situational irony in the fact that the boys in this book, as well as the famously “masculine” Hemingway, believe a piece written by a girl to be the best piece of writing in the writing contest.

Reader's Annotation 

At a strict and literary boarding school, all the young men would do just about anything to gain an audience with their favorite authors, but how far will they go?

Author Information 

Tobias Wolff attended the Hill School in Pennsylvania, one that is believed to be an inspiration to the academy in Old School. A former teacher at Syracuse for seventeen years, he is now a professor at Stanford, having been director of the creative writing program for 2000 to 2002. He has been continuously published since 1975, and is best known, perhaps, for his short stories as well as his memoir This Boy's Life. He has received a PEN/Faulkner award for his novella the Barracks Thief in 1985. He has also won the O. Henry award on three separate occasions.

Genre 

Fiction, adult title crossover

Curriculum Ties 

Reading and Language Arts

Booktalking Ideas 

Speak as the narrator asking kids what they would do in order to get a meeting with their favorite author, listing some of the events that happen in the book and leaving them with the potentially perilous ending conflict of facing being caught as a plagiarist.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

Older teens, with a higher reading level would be most interested. The subject matter is literary and requires an interest in the topic.

Challenge Issues 

Sexuality and offensive language are minimal to non-existent. There is a sensitive dealing with mentions of the Holocaust, but only in a secondary fashion. Nothing in this book particularly merits a challenge, but if challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly.  Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone.  As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected

I read this book years ago, shortly after graduating high school.  The authors highlighted in the book were familiar to me, and the reverance the students paid to them is presented in a humorous expectaitions-versus-reality sort of way that I feel is important for young adults to come to terms with. 

References 

Tobias Wolff. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobias-Wolff