A bit about each book Michael Laser Michael Laser

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The Word-Lover’s Lexicon

Do you love words, especially obscure ones? Do you enjoy witty and elegant quotations from literature and recent journalism? Are you a fan of mischievous jokes? Take a peek at The Word-Lover’s Lexicon.

Eulogy

A short novel about a man coming to terms with his late father’s secrets. Quiet and poignant—featuring three generations of fathers and sons, and some recognizable Jewish relatives.

My Impending Death

If dark comedy is to your taste, you may enjoy this novel about a man who plans to end his life, but gets interrupted by a neighbor in need. (Note: The plot is eerily similar to that of A Man Called Ove, an international bestseller that appeared in English shortly before my book. Here’s an essay about that startling coincidence.)

Hidden Away

A smart, cynical teenager disappears from his suburban home on the morning of the SAT. The mystery deepens as we return to the start of the school year and see the many ways he put himself at risk. Will he survive this nightmare. Don’t you want to find out?

Dark & Light

What If… a lonely middle-aged white man offered shelter to an appealing young black woman, temporarily homeless? Cultures clash; intimacy grows despite their differences. But it never gets easy.

Old Buddy Old Pal

A friendship between two men in their twenties, from the sidekick’s point of view—along with romantic turmoil, as the married friend pursues his lost college love and the protagonist gets together with his old pal’s abandoned wife.

For younger readers (and adults who enjoy such books)

The Watermelon

Romance, prejudice, war: a teenage girl travels to South America with a group of volunteers, falls in love with the group’s local leader, and resists the bigotry that surrounds her as a war with the neighboring country approaches.

Cheater

A farcical comedy about high-tech cheating in high school, with the structure of Oliver Twist: a smart, well-meaning kid gets sucked into a ring of charming rule-breakers, and has a hard time getting out. Lots of jokes.

6-321

The dramas of my elementary-school years, compressed into a fictionalized sixth grade: parents’ divorce, a monumental crush, and a feud with another class. This one has been especially meaningful to adolescent readers.

The Rain

A picture book, almost a lullaby. Best for quiet moments with children. The rain falls peacefully, beautifully, in different places; people respond to it in their own ways.

For everyone

Children’s Rules for Parents

Circa 1985: teachers assigned the topic to their students and sent us the results. Some of the entries are hilarious; some are touching; some are heartbreaking.

For college writing instructors, mainly

The College Writing Clinic

If you’ve ever taught expository writing, you know how hard it is to help students learn to craft graceful sentences. By combining ideas from different sources, I put together a method that achieved encouraging results. Borrow as much as you like—including the lesson plans and handouts.