Charles Baxter

Forget cops and firemen; the bravest and most pitiable public servants we know are the teachers. It takes guts to face a roomful of kids these days. The neglected ones are prone to kicking. The coddled ones are prone to calling in their parents to change a grade or a rule. And the crazy ones? Well, who knows what they will do. In Charles Baxter’s latest novel, Saul and Patsy, one of Saul’s more screwed-up students becomes obsessed with his teacher’s home life, and eventually inserts himself into it. Creepy, funny, and knowing, this novel shows why local writer Baxter has developed an appreciative audience outside of the often cloistered Twin Cities literary scene. 3225 W. 69th St., Edina; 952-920-0633