Andrew Pessin's novel "Nevergreen" -- the fictional story of a physician invited to speak at Nevergreen College, who becomes the center of a firestorm of unearned politically-correct controversy -- may remind readers of the real-life incident at Evergreen College involving Bret Weinstein, or perhaps the real-life one involving Pessin himself at Connecticut College, where he is a professor of philosophy. The main character is named simply "J" -- which may also remind readers of Howard Jacobson's novel of that name.
But "Nevergreen" is also a remarkably well-written novel that stands on its own, as a compelling story, simultaneously satirical and serious. Its assured style is apparent from the first paragraph, where J is on his way to give the speech that will change his life:
He saw her from ten rows away, as she was coming down the aisle. The heavy bubble-themed sweater, the warm smile cast indiscriminately at the other passengers as she bobbed along. He dropped his eyes, anxiously glanced at the empty seat next to him, braced himself for the inevitable. "Good morning, friend!" the woman exuberated as she slipped her carry-on overhead and her carrion into the seat beside him.
The blurbs for this book come from such people as Liel Leibovitz of Tablet Magazine, William Jacobson of Cornell University, and Donna Robinson Divine of Smith College.
It is worth reading both as fiction and as a reflection on our real-life times. Much more information and background about the book is available at andrewpessin.com/nevergreen. Available at Amazon here.