The Summer of Gary Begins!

Followed By the Fall of Gary

Around the first of May, I celebrate the end of my teaching duties at Columbia. I teach in the Spring semester — a writing workshop and a seminar about immigrants and stuff — and then I take nine months off to try to write a novel.

People ask why I teach. I love teaching! After writing six books you want to remember what it was like when you first started writing. The happiest of times is when they finally give you money for it and you can start collecting watches, but before that the American literary world requires you to get an MFA.

I often wish Columbia could move downtown where I live when I’m in NYC, or at least bring good food to Morningside Heights, but the campus is very pretty. There is a giant bronze statue of a woman on a throne and people often sing and protest in front of it. We certainly protested a lot at the Oberlin Institute for Exceptional Individuals, my alma mater, but it would have been good to have a giant bronze statue in the middle of our campus, whatever she’s called.

On the drinks front, I overdid it celebrating with my students and had sixteen drinks for the week, two over my prescribed maximum. Bad Gary! Let’s see how I do this summer. Keep me honest, people.