Simon Walker has been keeping a journal of his last year living on the grounds of the university, the only home he has ever known. In it, he offers an account of his 'family', from kitchen-worker confidants to Nobelists and high-ranking university officials. Among these interlocking narratives, he explains his involuntary transfer to Harmony House, a home for the unfit and unwanted. His chronicle captures the politics of ambition, intrigue, and fame of those who surround him and his own curious contributions which will affect them all. "A great talent." -Ray Powers, Scott & Field "An important satire on the culture of institutions and the uses of intellect . . . . rich in allegory" -Walter Proctor "Structurally ingenious." -Jonathan Galassi, Farrar, Straus & Giroux