Last night Jean read from her new novel Admission to a small, yet garrulous audience. An interesting discussion ensued upon the reading's conclusion concerning the strengths and shortcomings of the college admissions processes for top tier schools. Are our youth being adjured to write beyond their means in application essays? Are the pressures of matriculation conducive to focus and direction, or rather to an angst-ridden academic youth subculture? Exhaustively introspective applicants stretch and knead their ambitions into feigned likenesses of what they believe to meet national prestigious standards, but what comes of it may be detrimental to our youth and society in general.
While the system has it flaws, it may be argued that it makes more than due with what has been passed down successively from generation to generation. Without a complete, from the foundations up, reworking of the entire system there may be little hope for fundamental change. Jean's new novel gives further insight into the world of the application process and its intriguing unknowns.
Jean's reading was well accepted and very encouraging to those who are yet to crack open her new novel. We invite you to check it out yourself and consider the issues embedded in this engaging story.
-Derek
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