Fran Shor

Passages of Rebellion Fran Shor

Passages of Rebellion follows the semi-autobiographical protagonist, Frank Goodman, in his antiwar and anti-draft activities during the turbulent years of 1967-1970. The novel, moving back and forth in time, explores his interactions with a wide variety of characters - from his fellow student protestors and draft resisters to his wife, Mary Browne, and a bombing suspect who accompanies Frank as he flees to Canada to escape capture for an abortive raid on a draft office. The story also flashes forward in time to highlight the radical feminism of Ruth Browne as she moves from her life in Michigan as a director of a Women's Shelter to graduate school at the University of Toronto. A confrontation between Ruth and Frank takes place at his bookstore in Toronto, leading to a surprising revelation. Using a variety of passages from works of Albert Camus, James Baldwin, and Andrea Dworkin, among others, Passages of Rebellion considers the role of violence in the international, national, and domestic arenas. Threaded throughout the text are philosophical and literary references, including to Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring, that illuminate the meanings of rebellion.