Running the books : the adventures of an accidental prison librarian
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’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’s an anxious pimp who solicits Steinberg’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 Books is a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man’s earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process.
Browse Related Items
Subject |
Steinberg, Avi. Prison librarians > Massachusetts > Boston > Biography. |
Genre |
Autobiographies. |
- ISBN: 9780385529099
- Physical Description 399 pages ; 22 cm
- Edition First edition.
- Publisher New York ; Nan A. Talese, [2010]
- Copyright ©2010
Additional Information
LDR | 01185nam a2200361 a 4500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
001 | 213814 | ||
003 | NFPL | ||
005 | 20190517141735.0 | ||
008 | 100219s2010 nyu e 000 0aeng | ||
010 | . | ‡a 2010004829 | |
020 | . | ‡a9780385529099 | |
035 | . | ‡a(Sirsi) a828533 | |
035 | . | ‡a(OCoLC)505417106 | |
035 | . | ‡a(CaAE) a828533 | |
043 | . | ‡an-us-ma | |
040 | . | ‡aDLC ‡beng ‡erda ‡cDLC ‡dSBB ‡dUtOrBLW | |
050 | 0 | 0. | ‡aZ720.S827 ‡bA3 2010 |
082 | 0 | 4. | ‡a027.6/65092 ‡222 |
092 | . | ‡a027.665 STE | |
100 | 1 | . | ‡aSteinberg, Avi. ‡0(DLC)n 2010009686 ‡0(NFPL)86569 |
245 | 1 | 0. | ‡aRunning the books : ‡bthe adventures of an accidental prison librarian / ‡cAvi Steinberg. |
250 | . | ‡aFirst edition. | |
264 | 1. | ‡aNew York ; ‡aToronto : ‡bNan A. Talese, ‡c[2010] | |
264 | 4. | ‡c©2010 | |
300 | . | ‡a399 pages ; ‡c22 cm | |
336 | . | ‡atext ‡2rdacontent | |
337 | . | ‡aunmediated ‡2rdamedia | |
338 | . | ‡avolume ‡2rdacarrier | |
520 | . | ‡aAvi 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’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’s an anxious pimp who solicits Steinberg’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 Books is a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man’s earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process. | |
600 | 1 | 0. | ‡aSteinberg, Avi. ‡0(DLC)n 2010009686 ‡0(NFPL)86569 |
650 | 0. | ‡aPrison librarians ‡0(DLC)sh2010002499 ‡zMassachusetts ‡zBoston ‡0(DLC)n 79045553 ‡vBiography. ‡0(DLC)sh 99001237 | |
655 | 7. | ‡aAutobiographies. ‡2lcgft ‡0(DLC)gf2014026047 ‡0(NFPL)270 | |
930 | . | ‡aMARCIVE (022023) | |
901 | . | ‡a213814 ‡b ‡c213814 ‡tbiblio |