Possible Happiness

Eleventh-grader Jacob Wasserman is just trying to get by. Under the radar, he spends his weekends at home by himself, leaning on TV and video games to distract himself from the weight— these days we would call it depression— inside him. But he’ s secretly got a quirky sense of humor, and, when he starts letting it show, he finally gets noticed. In fact, before he knows it, Jacob’ s ability to keep people entertained has drawn him into a full-time social life, complete with a circle of friends, parties, and even a girlfriend. But is this newfound acceptance enough to unlock meaningful well-being? Is this entertainer even the real Jacob? Possible Happiness is a funny and tender coming-of-age story about developing the courage to face and understand yourself.

David Ebenbach is the author of ten books of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, winners of awards like the Drue Heinz Literature Prize and the Juniper Prize, among others. He lives with his family in Washington, DC, where he works at Georgetown University, teaching creative writing and literature and supporting faculty and grad students in their own student-centered and inclusive teaching.