|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Book Relies
on Humor, Fun to Discuss College Culture
Every college student is familiar with the course bulletin. The descriptions of classes, majors and other things vital to university life make up the book.
Who knew that something like that could be funny?
"College is like a micro-reality. It covers a whole bunch of topics," said Jeffrey Morrow, an author of University of Psychogenic Fugue, a Course Catalog for Students of Life. The book, which Morrow wrote with co-author Tye R. Farrell is a faux college bulletin, and a hilarious one at that.
"We want people to laugh, mostly. And think about the world they live in, some," he said.
Morrow and Farrell started writing the book after they both dropped out of graduate school. The pair had written a humor column for their college newspaper and they decided to expand on that with a humorous take on college life, but one that they could write in small sections.
"We started off hoping it would be published," Morrow said, "but I'm not sure we actually believed we would get it finished."
The book chronicles the life of a student at University of Psychogenic Fugue. From the different student clubs and organizations to the admissions process and description of the classroom buildings, the book is a step-by-step satire on the university experience.
There are 15 "majors" at the university. It is possible to major in Love, Glamour or even Suburban Sciences.
The book features English classes like "EN 141: Writing the Fortune Cookie" and business classes like "BS 311: Introduction to Prostitution."
"I'd teach that class," Morrow said with a laugh. "No, no, not really."
The class descriptions as well as the other aspects of the book take the liberty to get as off-the-wall as possible.
"Stuff like it is fun," Morrow said. "You start with a seed and then you keep adding stuff. You can do it so much when you co-write something."
The two have both been to different colleges, which helped them to draw on different college settings for their book.
"It gave us some different perspective," Morrow said.
But he said he didn't think he drew much on his own experiences for the book.
"Strangely, I can't think of the ways it relates to my college experience," he said.
The pair hasn't received any mail from people who want to go to the fake college.
"We thought we would get some really weird stuff in the mail," Morrow said. "But so far, it's been pretty tame.
Morrow said if he went to the university he created in the book, he would be an English major, which is what he was when he was in college. He said he was interested in taking some of the English Department "Tabloid" classes.
"There's also a class that involves eating lots of pies. I like that class, too," he said.
Going to school
The University of Psychogenic Fugue, a Course Catalog for Students
of Life can be found at local bookstores or at the Web site www.meteoritepress.com
