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Pulitzer Book Club Inclusion Guide

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"Less" by Andrew Sean Greer

INCLUSION MILESTONES

2018

• "Crazy Rich Asians" highest earning rom com in a decade
• Jared Polis first openly gay man elected governor
• First transgender person signs contract to join U.S. military

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AUTHOR INSPIRATIONS

Greer’s original take on Less was serious; while swimming he landed on idea to write humor about someone in pain. Greer lives in San Francisco with his long-term partner; his identical twin lives nearby with his wife and son. This novel about a struggling novelist leans on Greer’s observations while working as a travel writer; he was determined to make the details real, not stereotypical.

GET THE BOOK

Featured Reader Wanted!

Featured Reader

– Share your key take-away about inclusion in this book in a sentence or two.
– Write a paragraph or two (up to 250 words) to describe your thoughts on exclusion/inclusion in the book, why you related or did not connect with the book, and why you think reading, inclusion and dialog about inclusion matter.
– Identify the name and website address of a cause you support with an inclusive mission.

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Author travels world to avoid 50th, marriage of former lover

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Less has outfit drama at Parisian dinner party populated with people who just met. Wishes he wore his signature blue suit.

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Greer created what he felt was missing in novels with gay characters -- a happy ending – and crafted a novel with universal relevance. First comedy to win a Pulitzer since 1981.

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272 delightful pages; Audio 8 ¼ hours

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Defy age. It’s just a number.

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A universal love story about a couple who happens to be gay. People, mostly privileged, from around the world

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Seven-course kaiseki Japanese meal; pay attention to the graciousness of the presentation as well as the food and make sure you can exit without incident.

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“A white middle-aged American man walking around with his white middle-aged American sorrows? Jesus, I guess so. Arthur. Sorry to tell you this. It's a little hard to feel sorry for a guy like that. Even gay?”

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Pick your favorite stop on the Less tour and pimp out your meeting room accordingly. Fake foreign views by taping travel pictures to your windows, play some mood music and find a tacky conversation-starter souvenir in a thrift shop.

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How does Less have fun with white privilege and gay clichés?
Compare how people related to each other as Less has as he travels the world.
When have you experienced or perpetrated ageism?
How does a visitor respect cultures while traveling?
How does one gracefully avoid an invitation and reluctantly attend an event?

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Fantasize your world tour with stays in San Francisco, New York, Mexico, Paris, Italy, Berlin, India, Morocco, and Japan. Then plan a series of nights out in (or take out from) French, German, Indian, Moroccan, and Japanese restaurants.

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No adapations yet.

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“The Confessions of Max Tivoli” is a 2004 Greer novel that focuses on love and time.

Pulitzer Book Club is a free resource to help book groups, libraries, and independent readers experience

and discuss Pulitzer Fiction winners through the lens of inclusion. Pulitzer Book Club is an independent not-for-profit

and is not sponsored or endorsed by The Pulitzer Prizes.  The official website of The Pulitzer Prizes is https://www.pulitzer.org

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