If you went to college/university, did it have fraternities and sororities? Were you in one? I worked full-time in college so I didn’t participate but I’ll admit there was always something so intriguing and, dare I say, hot (I was a closeted college kid, so don't judge) about fraternities.
Nugent’s short story collection takes place at the Delta Zeta Chi house on the campus of a college in Massachusetts. The interconnected stories follow a motley crew of characters—Newton (aka Nutella), the charismatic fraternity president; Oprah, so named because he likes to read and ask a lot of questions; even a girl the fraternity calls God.
As you might expect, many of the stories involve some sort of drug- and/or alcohol-fueled antics, but even within those, serious issues are touched on. There’s discussion about sexual insecurity and coming to terms with one’s sexuality; what constitutes sexual assault; friendship and loyalty; and missing the glory days of youth.
Not all of the stories work as well as some do, but overall, Fraternity is a good collection. I was impressed at how well the stories actually treated women for the most part, not something you traditionally expect of fraternities.
Sometimes an unexpected bookstore find reaps great dividends!
