This roundup has everything: a pair of memoirs, a literary farce, a coming-of-age story, a writer’s guide to romantasy, and the legendary Miss Britney Spears
Just Remember the Happy Hours: A Memoir of Innocence and Experience, by Jim Burns. From the frozen lakes of Wisconsin to the sun-scorched shadows of Paradise Valley, this coming-of-age memoir traces one boy’s fractured journey through the uneven terrain of love, loss, and family collapse. Jim’s childhood unfolds against the backdrop of his father’s unravelling sobriety, his mother’s bravado, and a background cast of socialites and misfits. His life is turned upside down when his father moves a prostitute into their home, sends him alone to buy ammunition, and dies of alcoholism. But the spirit endures, and a new chapter is written into Jim’s life when his mother survives a traumatic brain injury and he finds unexpected mentors, friends, and purpose in the wake of chaos. With both humor and tenderness, Just Remember the Happy Hours explores what it means to survive when the adults around you fail to grow up—and what it takes to reclaim your own story. Burns was adviser to The Occidental Weekly from 2011 to 2016. He retired from teaching in 2022 and lives in Ashland, Ore., with his wife, Barbara.
The Literati, by Susan Keselenko Coll ’81 (Harper Muse). Aspirant, bookish, and close to broke, 26-year-old Clemi steps into her dream job at a prestigious literary nonprofit and finds herself in the bull’s-eye of a financial, legal, and existential calamity. The executive director has disappeared, leaving behind an inscrutable cat to which she is highly allergic. Meanwhile, the bank accounts have been overdrawn, the FBI is asking questions, and she has three days to pull off the annual fundraising gala, a glamorous affair filled with famous writers and local literati. Clemi finally gets to meet her literary idol, but awkward encounters with the author, her young son, and the nonprofit’s chaotic board make her wonder if some writers are best admired from afar. Meanwhile, her own life feels just as messy—her poseur boyfriend disappoints, the clock is ticking on her apartment-sitting gig is ending, and she’s unsure how this scandal-prone nonprofit relates to literature at all. In her seventh novel, Coll weaves together a witty and warm comedy of manners that offers a peek behind the literary curtain—one that anyone who’s ever been a little bit uncertain of what the future might hold can relate to. Coll works at Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C., and was president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation for five years.
Write a Romantasy: 99 Writing Prompts to Craft a Tale of Heart and Heroism, by Erik Patterson ’00 (Simon and Schuster). Master the romantic fantasy genre—romantasy for short—with this ultimate guide full of tips for aspiring authors and seasoned writers alike looking to craft their dream romantasy novel. Patterson guides writers through the tropes and themes in the genre, then offers prompts that will not only engage the writer’s creativity but will also spark ideas for uncharted possibilities and fresh perspectives. Patterson is an award-winning screenwriter, writing teacher, playwright, and creator of Your Daily Writing Prompt on TikTok. If romantasy is not your thing, check out Write a Dystopian Novel, also by Patterson; he’s currently writing the third book in the series, Write a Horror Novel, which is scheduled for release next May.
Khoda Hafez … Goodbye Iran (second edition), by John Doolittle ’66 (JBD Publishing). Together with his wife, Nora ’67, and their two small children, John Doolittle moved to Tehran, Iran, in 1978 to take a job with a subsidiary of AT&T. What was supposed to be just a foreign assignment evolved into being a witness to a revolution—and the last ruling days of the Shah of Iran. Goodbye Iran tells the story of ordinary daily life, interspersed with demonstrations and riots, through the eyes of John and his family, company security notices, and various news media. Readers will discover that the way Iranians live their lives differs from the Western world; it isn’t wrong—just different. It also becomes clear that when people seek change, they can achieve it even against tremendous odds. Iran is transformed into a new form of government, one that impacts all aspects of everyday life. In the very end, the Shah of Iran and the author leave on the same day, never to return again. Doolittle majored in economics at Oxy and earned his MBA from UC Berkeley. He is retired from SBC Pacific Bell and lives with his wife in Northern California.
The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter, by Barbara Carroll Roberts ’78 (Penguin Random House). The first day at E.D. Britt Middle School does not go well for Bunny Baxter, whose social anxiety and flaming red hair make blending in impossible. After a string of embarrassing accidents—including tripping into the cutest boy in school and causing cafeteria chaos—Bunny decides her only option is to get expelled so she can transfer back to her old school. Breaking the rules comes surprisingly easy to Bunny, but as her plan starts to work, she begins to question what she truly wants. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about an insect-loving girl who is learning to grow into herself—quirks and all. Roberts lives in Virginia with her husband, two cats, and a “very goofy” springer spaniel.
Waiting for Britney Spears: A True Story, Allegedly, by Jeff Weiss ’03 (Macmillan). Fresh out of Oxy, Weiss hit the streets of L.A. as an aspiring writer. When he wasn’t chasing his literary dreams, he was in hot pursuit of the Princess of Pop, tracking Spears’ every “Yeah” for a tabloid. In Waiting for Britney Spears, a club-friendly mix of fact and fanfic, Weiss documents the excesses of celebrity culture in the early 2000s through the legend of the “last great pop star.”
