Ben Lerner: The Topeka School

The story of a family around the last turn of the millennium: In his 2019 novel, Ben Lerner tells of a mother who wants to be free from abuse, a father who betrays his marriage and a son whose aversion to male rituals gradually silences him. Ben Lerner, who himself grew up in Topeka, Kansas and, like the protagonist of his story, took part in debating championships as a student, writes about the impending collapse of private and public speech and today’s society – about how things got this way and where things might be heading. For the release of the German translation, the author, via video from the US, will talk to publisher and editor Amanda DeMarco about his story of toxic masculinity, disgruntled outsiders, manipulated high school debates and political disasters. According to The Times, it’s a good place to start for anyone who wants to understand today’s America.

In cooperation with the internationales literaturfestival berlin