Submission

After publishing his first novel, Ted Swenson gains a bit of fame and begins teaching creative writing at Euston College in Vermont. He hopes this early fame will lead to a second hit that lets him leave academia, but he ends up staying on as a tenured professor for about ten years.

Angela Argo asks Ted to read the first chapter of her novel Eggs. Ted is impressed by her writing and encourages her to continue, setting up the later tension between mentor and student.

Colleague Magda informs Ted about Angela's vulgar poems from class. She mentions Angela insisted the poems be donated to the college library. Librarians ultimately decide to keep the collection as a gesture of goodwill despite the content.

Ted checks out the poetry book at the library and reads it. The pieces are erotic conversations between Angela 911 and her clients, which shocks him yet deepens his understanding of Angela's world. The material unsettles him but foreshadows the complexity of their relationship.

Ted attends a dinner at a colleague's home with his wife Sherrie. They discuss the new campus sexual harassment rule-book and how political correctness is changing their teaching style. The conversation frames the social climate surrounding their actions.

Ted praises Angela's writing and encourages her to write more. Angela provides increasingly erotic chapters of Eggs. As he reads, he begins to imagine himself as the science teacher from the story, but he tries to keep their relationship professional.

Angela asks for a ride to Burlington to buy a new laptop. After returning to campus, she invites Ted into her dorm room, and they begin a sexual relationship. A comic mishap occurs when Ted's tooth loosens and falls out, forcing them to postpone.

During class, Angela bluntly tells another student that her plot and characters are weak. Ted refrains from reprimanding her, and later she asks to have his agent read her novel. The moment tests the boundary between professional duty and personal relationship.

Ted agrees to present Angela's manuscript to his agent, but the agent shows little interest in a newbie's work. Ted attempts to explain the situation, but Angela becomes furious, accusing him of using their relationship for professional gain. The tension strains their already fragile dynamic.

The university board contacts Ted after Angela files a sexual harassment suit, presenting a taped conversation as proof. He loses his job, his wife leaves him, and his reputation among students and some faculty is damaged. Meanwhile, Angela gains unexpected attention from Ted's agent due to the controversy.

Fifteen months after the events, Ted sits in a cafeteria writing his memoirs. He notices a woman at his table reading Eggs and asks how she likes the book, suggesting that he is still processing the experience and its aftermath.