Brian Platzer on The Optimists, Teaching, and Elite Education | Fiction/Non/Fiction Podcast
Brian Platzer’s fresh novel, The Optimists, explores the complex and often fraught relationships between teachers and students over three decades, drawing heavily from the author’s own experiences and a decades-long connection with his former teacher, Rod Keating. The book, released February 24th by Little, Brown, has already sparked discussion about the intensity of these bonds and the lasting impact educators can have, even as those connections fade with time.
Platzer discussed the novel and its origins in a recent interview on the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast, hosted by Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan. He explained that Keating, a real-life figure who served as his seventh and eighth grade English teacher, later became a mentor and friend, even officiating Platzer’s wedding before suffering a debilitating stroke that left him unable to speak, read, or write. “He’d been a brilliant man,” Platzer told the podcast hosts. “He’d spoken, read, and written in multiple languages fluently…and had lived a fascinating life that was primarily dedicated to his students.”
The novel centers on a private school teacher, Mr. Keating, and his recollections of a particularly remarkable student, Clara. Platzer said he wanted to explore the inherent uncertainty teachers face regarding their impact. “I’ve been teaching eighth grade now for almost 20 years, and the moments when the students arrive back to visit…I just dread those moments,” he admitted. “What we both desire to say…is ‘Remember how much we meant to each other?’ And it doesn’t exist anymore.”
The setting of the novel, a fictional private school named St. George’s, also prompted a discussion about the broader context of elite education in New York City. Platzer, who currently teaches at Grace Church School, addressed the financial realities of these institutions. He noted the soaring tuition costs – currently exceeding $70,000 annually – and the pressures this places on families and schools alike. “The problem with these schools is that they’re just too expensive,” he stated. “To have slight classes in New York City real estate…these things cost a comically absurd amount of money.”
Terrell pointed out that Grace Church School, like St. George’s in the novel, boasts a notable alumni network, including David Duchovny and David Brooks. Platzer acknowledged the inherent complexities of the system, where parents become “consumers” seeking not just education but also guarantees of future success. He described a sense of anxiety within these schools, stemming from the difficulty of justifying such high costs and the pressure to deliver transformative experiences.
Platzer also discussed how attending a school like St. George’s can affect students from less affluent backgrounds. “It makes you lonely, it makes you competitive, it makes you feel like you need to define yourself at far too young of an age,” he said. He noted the pressure to prove oneself amongst wealthier peers and the constant questioning of belonging.
The Optimists is Platzer’s third novel, following Bed-Stuy is Burning and The Body Politic. He previously served as the education columnist for The Atlantic and has contributed to publications including The New York Times and The New Yorker.