Beyond Folly

by Emil DeAndreis

Welcome to the wonderful world of public education, as seen through the eyes of seasoned substitute teacher, Horton Hagardy. It's a time you might recall with great fondness if you were a student--a day to escape the oppressive existence of your everyday tormentors. If you're a substitute, however, these dark, funny, and often poignant stories, take you to a very real place. In Emil DeAndreis's new book, Beyond Folly , we are on the front lines of the education system, in the trenches, so to speak, of what it feels like to face the everyday challenges of being a teacher on call. These thoughtful and insightful linked-together tales give the reader a behind-the-scenes peek into the life and mind of a substitute teacher, an isolated, underpaid, and underappreciated professional.

Genres: Fiction

150 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published March 13, 2013

About the author

Emil DeAndreis has three books, Beyond Folly and Hard To Grip and most recently Tell Us When To Go. His fiction has appeared in StoryQuarterly, The Barcelona Review and more. He teaches English at College of San Mateo, and lives in the Bay Area with his wife and son.

Reviews

[Adam Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally, I avoid satire. The low-blow sarcasm can either be spot on or terribly mean-spirited. If you were never a substitute teacher, or if you don't have much public school experience outside of being a student, Beyond Folly might fall more into the mean-spirited realm. Since, I sustained myself substituting for two years in an inner-city public school system, this short book has a special place in my heart. It was nice to read it from the outside looking in.

This is a series of stories concerning substitute teacher Horton Hargardy as he is dehumanized by students, administration, parents, and other substitute teachers. The book starts with the annual substitute teacher training session where Hagardy witnesses his "co-workers" for the upcoming school year. Among these are a wheelchair-bound, narcoleptic elderly woman and a vegan so obsessed with yoga she strikes poses mid-sentence. The true absurdity stems from interactions of the subs and the instructor, as they quickly derail the entire meeting, much like the students will soon be derailing their classroom "authority."



The book's real charm comes from the various assignments Hagardy undertakes, including an advanced placement class that virtually teaches itself while their facilitator questions, "Why does this whole class speak like butlers from the Victorian age?"

Also on the agenda is the substitute teacher's dream day--the librarian assignment--which goes well until Hagardy is forced to oversee the annual Bring Your Parent to School Day. The hardest-hitting chapter is the one in which Hagardy subs for the alternative education teacher. Class begins with a student screaming "THAT'S HOW COME YOU A CRUSTY BITCH! AND YOU GOT A CAMEL TOE! NOW WHAT?!" to an administrator. I wish I could say I have never heard something similar whilst substitute teaching, but I'll just take comfort in not having heard that particular statement screamed verbatim.

The book was a joy to read and certainly does not take itself too seriously, though it does lapse into poignancy as Hargardy considers the social and environmental factors that students bring to the table. Somehow, he finds the wherewithal to see the good in all of them, which is respectable in a book that could easily lambaste the ignorance of youth.

Forgive the following infomercial: Get the Kindle edition of this for $2.99 and support Blue Cubicle Press, a wonderful independent outfit that publishes the highly readable The First Line literary magazine, where all submissions adhere only to the same first line.

[Natalie]

Read for school

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Died laughing, can't wait to see what comes next from him.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny and so full of heart! I'm a teacher at the district where the author substituted and can attest to how dead-on his satire is. I can't wait to read his next book!

[Glenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is supposed to be a funny book about substitute teaching. Too bad it isn't particularly funny. Mildly interesting and blessedly short.