Running the Books The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian
, by Steinberg, AviNote: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
- ISBN: 9780767931311 | 0767931319
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 10/4/2011
Avi Steinberg is stumped. After defecting from yeshiva to Harvard, he has only a senior thesis essay on Bugs Bunny to show for his effort. While his friends and classmates advance in the world, he remains stuck at a crossroads, unable to meet the lofty expectations of his Orthodox Jewish upbringing. And his romantic existence as a freelance obituary writer just isn#x19;t cutting it. Seeking direction-and dental insurance-Steinberg takes a job as a librarian in a tough Boston prison. The prison library counter, his new post, attracts con men, minor prophets, ghosts, and an assortment of quirky regulars searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. There#x19;s an anxious pimp who solicits Steinberg#x19;s help in writing a memoir. A passionate gangster who dreams of hosting a cooking show titled Thug Sizzle. A disgruntled officer who instigates a major feud over a Post-it note. A doomed ex-stripper who asks Steinberg to orchestrate a reunion with her estranged son, himself an inmate. Over time, Steinberg is drawn into the accidental community of outcasts that has formed among his bookshelves - a drama he recounts with heartbreak and humor. But when the struggles of the prison library - between life and death, love and loyalty - become personal, Steinberg is forced to take sides. Running the Booksis a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man#x19;s earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process. From the Hardcover edition.