The Abstinence Teacher
Encyclopedia
The Abstinence Teacher is a 2007
novel by American
author Tom Perrotta
. It tells the story of Ruth Ramsey, a divorced sexual education teacher who lives in suburban New Jersey
and comes into conflict with the town's conservative population. According to Perrotta, it is "all about sex education and the culture war
s." He was inspired to write the novel after reading of the influence of evangelical
voters on the 2004 presidential election
, stating, "I did feel somewhat inadequate as a novelist, just like I'd missed something huge happening in this country. I really did set out to kind of investigate that world." The novel also touches on other issues such as homophobia
and sexism
in the suburban setting.
purchased the film rights to the novel in September 2006, more than a year before it was published. As of October 2007, Perrotta was working on the screenplay, which, according to Perrotta's official site, was completed in 2008. The planned movie was originally supposed to be co-directed by Little Miss Sunshine
directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
. News of February 2011 state that the project has been taken over by The Kids Are All Right
director Lisa Cholodenko
.
2007 in literature
The year 2007 in literature involves some significant new books.-Events:*November 19 - First Kindle e-book reader released.*December 11 - Terry Pratchett informs fans on-line that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.-Literature:...
novel by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Tom Perrotta
Tom Perrotta
Thomas R. Perrotta is an Albanian-American/ Italian-American novelist and screenwriter best known for his novels Election and Little Children , both of which were made into critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated films...
. It tells the story of Ruth Ramsey, a divorced sexual education teacher who lives in suburban New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and comes into conflict with the town's conservative population. According to Perrotta, it is "all about sex education and the culture war
Culture war
The culture war in American usage is a metaphor used to claim that political conflict is based on sets of conflicting cultural values. The term frequently implies a conflict between those values considered traditionalist or conservative and those considered progressive or liberal...
s." He was inspired to write the novel after reading of the influence of evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
voters on the 2004 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, stating, "I did feel somewhat inadequate as a novelist, just like I'd missed something huge happening in this country. I really did set out to kind of investigate that world." The novel also touches on other issues such as homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
and sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
in the suburban setting.
Film adaptation
Warner Independent PicturesWarner Independent Pictures
Warner Independent Pictures was the specialty division of film studio Warner Bros. Entertainment. Established in August 2003, its first release was 2004's Before Sunset...
purchased the film rights to the novel in September 2006, more than a year before it was published. As of October 2007, Perrotta was working on the screenplay, which, according to Perrotta's official site, was completed in 2008. The planned movie was originally supposed to be co-directed by Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama film. The road movie's plot follows a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant.Little Miss Sunshine was the directorial film debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The screenplay was written by first-time writer...
directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris are a team of American music video directors, also husband and wife, that received critical acclaim for their feature film directorial debut, Little Miss Sunshine....
. News of February 2011 state that the project has been taken over by The Kids Are All Right
The Kids Are All Right (film)
The Kids Are All Right is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Lisa Cholodenko and written by Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg.One of Sundance 2010's breakout hits, it opened in limited release on July 9, 2010, expanding to more theaters on July 30, 2010. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray...
director Lisa Cholodenko
Lisa Cholodenko
Lisa Cholodenko is an American film and television writer/director. She is best known for her highly acclaimed 2010 comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right which was nominated for a number of awards including four Academy Awards, Best Picture among them.- Career :Having grown up in a Jewish family ,...
.
External links
- Book summary on Perrotta's official web site.
- Early book review on Readjunk.com