The Mind-Body Problem, Linnet Moss

I haven't been in academia for years, but it still feels like home to me, and Moss captures it perfectly in her three stories set in her made up Parnell State University. One of the things that's fun about Moss is that her Parnell State U. characters weave in and out of each other's stories. She writes sensually--about food, about clothes, about sex--in a way that is sensitive rather than aimed at titillation, and there is a huge difference. These are thoughtful, nuanced, grown up stories about middle-aged couples trying to understand themselves and form relationships with an emphasis on healing.

Moss changed forever how I think about sex in books with a post in her blog in which she writes:

"Authors of “literary fiction” usually avoid writing sex scenes, thereby banishing from the lives of their characters a key aspect of human experience. I suppose one could argue that the mechanics are the same every time, so there is no need to describe it. But that shows a distinct lack of imagination, does it not? If there is something to be learned about the characters by looking in more detail at their sexual selves, it seems to me that to drop a veil of discretion over a sex scene (“Afterwards…”) is a failure of nerve. People vary greatly with regard to their physical, emotional, and moral responses as sexual beings. Admittedly, in many stories this information may be irrelevant. But if the story deals with the mystery of two people’s attraction to each other, it is (or can be) a key to character."

If you are a fan of Alain de Botton's work, in particular his "Course of Love," Moss is a great choice. You can find her books on Amazon.