For eighteen years, Thomas Murlin has taught tenth-grade English at Cazenovia High School. For as long as "Lord of the Flies" has been on his syllabus, students have told him the same thing: it's a good book, but it wouldn't happen here.

He spent fifteen years writing them an answer.

Join Project Café at the Catherine Cummings Theatre as Murlin goes behind the scenes of his debut novel "Valedictorian: An Origin Story" — the people, places, and experiences that shaped it, and the characters, themes, and ideas behind the story.

The novel has earned praise from Midwest Book Review, BookLife, and Kirkus Reviews. BookLife called it “an inventive spin on a superhero’s origin story,” while Kirkus Reviews noted, “Fans of superhero franchises will find much to ponder in this page-turner.”

This summer, the Syracuse City School District adopted the novel for its Building Men Program, a character-building and mentoring initiative for young men.

Q&A and signing follow. Free; registration through Eventbrite.