After a 30-year wait, “Lunacy and Acts of God,” the debut novel by Ruth Maus will finally reach the hands of readers. A humorous fictional coming-of-age novel set in 1950s Topeka, Kansas, the story revolves around the murder of a patient in a famous Midwestern psychiatric hospital.
The public is invited to the book’s launch at Washburn University on Wednesday, March 26.
The book’s author, Maus, is an award-winning poet, having written poetry books “Valentine” and “Puzzled.” After she retired from her position as City of Topeka communications director, she began work at Washburn University as an auditor.
“I enrolled in classes I always wanted to take, and I started with poetry,” Maus said. “I put together a manuscript and submitted it to a contest, and I didn’t win the contest but I was a finalist my very first try.”
While working as an auditor, Maus met Andy Farkas, a professor in Washburn University’s English department. Farkas recommended Maus take his advanced fiction writing class to hone her manuscript for “Lunacy and Acts of God,” which she had completed more than 30 years ago.
“Each week we would do chapters and the class would give comments,” Maus said. “It really changed the focus of the book.”
Maus drew inspiration for the book from her own upbringing in 1950s Topeka.
“We had three psychiatric hospitals in Topeka at the same time,” Maus said. “My own maternal grandmother had been a patient at the state hospital for 15 years, so that was close to home.”
The book’s subject matter and storylines are relevant for not only those nostalgic for Topeka of years past, but also younger demographics figuring out who they are and what they believe in.
“It’s about a young person grappling with their surviving and the prejudices and social constructs of that world,” Maus said. “Everybody told me they were just laughing, and I think we need the humor right now.”
Key themes in the story are family, mental illness and identity – one of the characters is speculated to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically lesbian.
“Now, back in the ‘50s, that word ('lesbian') was never used and it was a huge thing,” Maus said. “So there’s that aspect that would appeal to young people today.”
Maus believes the timing of the book’s release is important because of the depth of the subject matter and relation to issues in the world today. She said that the main theme and takeaway of the book should be, and is, the "impact of family and community on prejudice."
“People are people, no matter what their religion is, what their race is and what their sexual orientation is,” Maus said. “What I do is I put these outrageous stereotypes in the characters’ mouths, so you can see for yourself that was how blatantly strange they sounded.”
Looking ahead, Maus said she is currently brainstorming ideas for her next novel.
“I don’t know where it will go, but we’ll never know,” she said.
“Lunacy and Acts of God” can be purchased anywhere books are sold, including the Raven Bookstore. For more information about Maus, visit her website.
The book launch event at Washburn University will be held in the Vogel Room of the Student Union at 4 p.m. More information can be found at the Kansas Authors Club website.
This article was edited by Arts & Culture Editor Isabella Johnson. If the information in this article needs to be corrected, please contact isabella.johnson@ku.edu. We want to hear from you!
