C.J. Farley

Harvard Book Store welcomes journalist and bestselling author C.J. FARLEY—former editor of the Harvard Lampoon—for a discussion of his latest novel, Around Harvard Square.

About Around Harvard Square

It's the nineties, and Tosh Livingston, straight-A student and superstar athlete, is living the dream—he's made it out of upstate New York and into the incoming freshman class at Harvard University. But after an accident blows up his basketball-playing hopes, he discovers a new purpose in life—to win the frenzied competition for a spot on the staff of the Harvard Harpoon, the school’s legendary humor magazine.

Along with Lao, his pot-smoking roommate from China, their friend Meera, a passive-aggressive science major from India, and Zippa, a Jamaican student-activist with a flair for cartooning, Tosh finds that becoming a member of the Harpoon is weirder and more dangerous than anyone could have imagined. Success requires pushing themselves to their limits and unearthing long-buried secrets that will rock their school and change all of their lives forever.

With its whip-smart humor and fast-paced narrative, Around Harvard Square will appeal to readers of all ages interested in exploring the complicated roles that race and class play in higher education.

Praise

"Wry, sly, and ferociously funny, Around Harvard Square is not just the satire Ivy League college life deserves, but the one it's been waiting for." —Marlon James, Man Booker Prize–winning author of A Brief History of Seven Killings

"A hysterical romp through one memorable freshman year. At Farley's Hahvahd, it's survival of the funniest, comedy means never having to say you're sorry, and growing up is hard to do. A provocative pleasure." —Gish Jen, author of Typical American

"In this sharp and imaginative satirical fantasy, C.J. Farley explores the complex realms of race and privilege at college with humor, insight, and edge." —Walter Isaacson, author of Leonardo da Vinci