Trigger Warning

by Robert Klose

Within these halls of learning, one must proceed with caution.

Happily ensconced as a tenured Professor of Biology at the small Skowhegan College in the wilds of Maine, Tymoteusz Tarnaszewski—who goes by the moniker "T"—suddenly finds himself in unknown territory when an incident in a colleague's classroom motivates the college administration to issue a blanket policy requiring the installation of "trigger warnings" in all syllabi.

T, believing that this would constrain his teaching, refuses to comply, even after one of his own students lodges a complaint about something T said during the course of a genetics lecture. The administration's judgment is T will be terminated at semester's end for insubordination.

What recourse, if any, does T have to save his position? And what will he do when he learns the higher-ups knew, early on, that the student who lodged the complaint against him is actually a threat to the school?

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2023

About the author

Robert Klose lives and writes in Orono, Maine, where he raised his two adopted sons from Russia and Ukraine. He is a biology professor at the Bangor campus of the University of Maine at Augusta. Besides being a long-time contributor of essays to The Christian Science Monitor, he is the author of six books. His novel, "Long Live Grover Cleveland," published by Medallion Press, won both a USA BookNews Award and a Ben Franklin Literary Award. His other titles are "Adopting Alyosha — A Single Man Finds a Son in Russia," "Small Worlds — Adopted Sons, Pet Piranhas & Other Mortal Concerns," "The Three-Legged Woman & Other Excursions in Teaching," and a children's book, "The Legend of the River Pumpkins." His work has also appeared in Newsweek, The Boston Globe, Reader's Digest, Exquisite Corpse, and elsewhere. He is a four-time winner of the Maine Press Association's annual award for opinion writing. His latest novel, "Life on Mars," was published by Black Rose Writing in July 2019. It is a recipient of a Best Book Award, International Book Award, and American Fiction Award.

Reviews

[Eclectic Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

The battleground between faculty and administration at a college takes center stage as the administration introduces mandatory trigger warnings on faculty syllabi. The novel follows the story of loner and tenured professor Tymoteusz Tarnaszewski, known as "T," who finds himself at odds with the new policy, setting off a chain of events that reveals a captivating mystery amidst the academic setting.

T has spent four decades as an esteemed professor and is deeply passionate about teaching, earning unwavering admiration from his students. However, his reluctance to comply with the new trigger warning mandate lands him in hot water when a student raises a complaint about the content of his classroom discussion. As he grapples with the consequences of his objection, T navigates through a web of intrigue, pursuing answers regarding the identity of the mysterious student and the administration's relentless pursuit to terminate his tenure.

Mr. Klose's storytelling has an engaging and accessible quality that includes an exploration of T's personal life, particularly his emotional journey following the loss of his wife combined with the unexpected alliances formed within the academic community. He also skillfully weaves in a compelling mystery that unfolds with finesse and retribution.

One of my favorite thought-provoking and timely quotes that resonates deeply within the current socio-cultural climate is “What, in your opinion, shouldn’t be tolerated? Aggression masquerading as righteousness.”

Whether you have worked in academia like me or you are seeking an enriching and enthralling story that includes intellectual discourse, personal resilience, and the unraveling of an academic institution, please give this book a try.

Thank you to Ms. Klose for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

[Peter Millard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Klose is a careful, creative and smart writer, and this book is no exception. He manages to turn a university's trigger warning on its head, and does it in a clever and suspenseful way. You'll love it as much as I did!

[Marta E C R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of a slow start for me, but picked up steam and I found it quite good thereafter. There were a few loose ends I would have liked to have seen tied up, but overall it was a good read, though rather an appalling view into modern academia. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Cameron Hasselbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, thought-provoking novel. I read it in one day.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well paced, dynamic story of intrigue in academia, with memorable characters. Great read!