| Tom Perrotta and I have two things in
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| | public schools; Teacher is based in our
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| common: New Jersey roots and novels about
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| | times. In Chronicles, I was guided by the
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| sex education; his latest work, The
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| | history and politics of the late 1970's.
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| Abstinence Teacher is the only other
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| | Teacher devotes more attention to the
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| novel, besides my own, The Sex Ed
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| | culture of fundamentalist Christianity
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| Chronicles, that I have read which covers
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| | than the art, science and politics of
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| a subject that is still considered taboo
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| | teaching sex education in public schools.
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| in some social circles. The Abstinence
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| | In Teacher, sex education is a regular
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| Teacher has two main characters: Ruth
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| | part of the school day. In reading
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| Ramsey, a divorcee' and high school sex
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| | Teacher and Chronicles back to back, I
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| educator who makes one inappropriate
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| | noticed similarities. Both novels
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| comment too many, drawing the ire of the
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| | position sex educators under the belief
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| evangelical Tabernacle church and its
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| | that knowledge is power and show that sex
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| hell for leather Pastor Dennis, and Tim
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| | education is too important and too
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| Mason, a former stoner and rock n'
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| | difficult a subject to teach poorly in
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| roller, also divorced, turned born-again
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| | the classroom. I made the same point as
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| Christian and doting soccer dad. Tim is
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| | an observing news reporter as Perrotta
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| struggling to stay along the straight and
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| | makes by getting inside Ruth Ramsey's
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| narrow path, as defined for him by the
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| | head. In Teacher and Chronicles, the
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| very same evangelical leader who torments
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| | teachers are also asked to swallow some
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| Ruth. The descriptions of Ruth and Tim's
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| | pride. I will only say that Ruth is asked
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| mental conflicts are fascinating. They
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| | to swallow harder. Chronicles and Teacher
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| are both searching for self-worth through
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| | share concerns about abstinence-only sex
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| someone else. Since their divorces, Ruth
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| | education being something that is watered
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| and Tim's lives have taken divergent
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| | down and therefore, not taking too
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| paths, but each believes that they have
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| | seriously-unless it is consistent with
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| lost something that one might call faith.
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| | the teachings of their family or place of
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| They are both close-minded, though Tim's
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| | worship. However, sex education outside
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| close-mindedness is manufactured from his
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| | of the public schools is less consistent
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| relationship with the Tabernacle. It was
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| | from student to student, than inside the
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| interesting that Tim likened the
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| | classroom-and both sides of the culture
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| fellowship of the Tabernacle to the
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| | wars acknowledge this point. Then the
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| camaraderie of the rock bands of his
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| | academic questions that come from reading
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| youth; both are closed circles that
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| | Teacher and Chronicles are who provides
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| welcome loners who are taught to pity or
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| | the views that will dominate, and not
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| look down on others who don't fit in. Tim
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| | demonize, public school sex education?
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| has tried to embrace a Christian life,
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| | Which minority view will take center
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| though his sexual desires for his ex-wife
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| | stage in a theatre where parents and
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| and unhappiness in his second marriage
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| | students are a silent majority? Will it
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| lead him to doubt his piety. Tim
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| | be activist conservatives (they are not
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| repeatedly returns to Pastor Dennis to
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| | all Christians; Orthodox Jews and Muslims
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| reconcile his adopted faith. Tim and
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| | share deep-seated objections to
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| Carrie, his second wife, try to find
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| | comprehensive sex education) or activist
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| sexual bliss under a church-defined set
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| | educators perceived to be liberal, or is
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| of rules; the rules for shopping, for
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| | it more appropriate to say, sexually
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| instance, try to draw a fine line between
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| | liberated? And, do students and school
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| naughty and nice. Ruth has lived
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| | administrators really care about the
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| professionally by the mantra that
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| | material taught in those classes? There
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| "pleasure is good, shame is bad and
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| | is evidence in Teacher and Chronicles
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| knowledge is power," however she doubts
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| | that administrators care mainly about
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| that her students are listening to her
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| | staying out of trouble that comes in the
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| more medically accurate, age appropriate
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| | forms of negative press and parental
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| messages. In her private moments, she
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| | pressures and, that most students will
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| doubts her own sexuality, wondering if
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| | "learn" whatever their school system
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| love, or just plain good sex, will elude
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| | decides to put in front of them. The
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| her for the rest of her life. Her
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| | Abstinence Teacher made me more concerned
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| desperation reaches new heights as she
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| | for the professional well-being and skin
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| seeks an old high school flame through
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| | thickness of sex educators who work in
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| the 'Net. Ruth and Tim's paths cross at a
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| | settings similar to Ruth. A teacher
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| soccer game where Tim has asked his team,
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| | cannot teach well when forced to suppress
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| including Ruth's daughter Maggie, to join
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| | their own values to protect faculty
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| in prayer after a victory. Ruth objects,
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| | colleagues from embarrassment. I likened
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| drawing further wrath from the Tabernacle
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| | Ruth Ramsey's job to managing the late
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| faithful. Her first clash led her
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| | shift at the 24-hour convenience mart, a
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| principal and superintendent to institute
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| | no-win scenario whenever you lose your
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| an abstinence-only sex education course
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| | cool in head-to-head or eye-to-eye
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| that she lacks the heart to teach. Her
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| | combat. For this reason, as well as
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| second compromises her relationships with
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| | Perrotta's humorous and insightful scenes
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| her two daughters: Maggie, who wants to
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| | of sex re-education in our times, The
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| continue to play soccer for Tim, and
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| | Abstinence Teacher gets high marks in my
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| Eliza who uses her mother's objections to
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| | grade book.
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| public prayer as a means to consider
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| | Stuart Nachbar has been involved with
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| evangelical fellowship for herself.
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| | education politics, policy and technology
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| Unlike my work, The Sex Ed Chronicles,
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| | as a student, urban planner, government
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| which takes place in 1980, a time before
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| | affairs manager, software executive, and
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| sex education had been adopted in many
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| | now as author of The Sex Ed Chronicles.
|
