Philip Roth's Sabbath's Theater is his masterwork--maybe. In choosing it as her favorite Roth, novelist and critic Claire Messud, author of The Emperor’s Children, said that, "The novel, outrageous when it was first published is all but inconceivable today." The book follows Mickey Sabbath, a disgraced puppeteer in late middle age, as he careens through grief, lust, memory, and self-destruction with almost no filter and even less restraint. It's at times deeply lyrical and at times deeply lewd, sometimes stream-of-consciousness and sometimes scenic, very long and equally controversial. Which means it's rarely taught in schools or discussed in reading groups. Together, we are going to dive in to this work of complicated genius. 

*We encourage you to read the first two chapters before class if you can—they’re dense, daring, and packed with everything Roth does best (and worst). But don’t worry if you don’t get to them; you’ll still be able to jump into the conversation.

You can purchase a copy and support a local bookstore here.

Courtney Sender is the author of In Other Lifetimes All I've Lost Comes Back to Me, called "deep and howling" by the Boston Globe. She has taught fiction writing at MIT, Tufts, Yale, and many others. She is the author and host of The Craft Lab for Writers newsletter and podcast, and she leads The Lab group for writers who are seeking inspiration, accountability, and personalized guidance at all stages of their careers.