Acorn

Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Arts and Leisure

Media Credit: Robert Wnorowski Assistant Professor of English Erec Smith stands in his Sitterly House office, holding his first novel, 'Creamy Nougat,' which highlights themes of stereotypes.

Writing Center Director and Assistant Professor of English Erec Smith is a jack of all trades at Drew University.  Thanks to the release of his book in early February, he can add one more title: Novelist.  "Creamy Nougat" is a work that deals with overcoming stereotypes and marginalization.  In order to promote the book, a reading and book signing was held on campus Thursday.  The Acorn recently caught up with Smith to get commentary on the book straight from the author.   



The Acorn: What is the premise of your book?

Erec Smith: A very eccentric, well-to-do person decides he wants to experiment with liberalism, so he finds the most liberal-minded people and tests them in very agitating and uncomfortable ways.  However, when he finds someone who is the most marginalized, the experiment changes in unforeseen ways.

A: What inspired you to write it?

E.S.: I was inspired to write the book based on my general experiences as a student and child who felt marginalized by people and wanted to do something about it.  [With this book,] I'm doing something about it in a wacky and humorous way.

A: What are the themes of the book?

E.S.: It's about a lot of things, really.  It's about relationships-people having different backgrounds and then coming together.  The main theme is to not judge a book by its cover.  A sub-theme is to never be too sure of your own moral high ground.  Some people think that they're great and end up realizing that they're not.  It's also about realizing that everyone is constructed to be specific.  Generalization is a sign of mental laziness.  The idea of generalizing, as negative as it is, is something we can't help.  The book is so dynamic that it's hard to say it's about one thing.  Liberalism and diversity and all things surrounding marginalization and the effects of being marginalized-that's the overall idea.  It's an extreme, wacky book.  There is a serious undertone but it's presented in a comical way-not to sugarcoat the issues but to make them more palatable.

Continued...

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