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Book by SUNY Plattsburgh Assistant Prof Elizabeth Cohen Makes Oprah's List

When her book made Oprah’s Fall Reading “Book of the Week” list, Elizabeth Cohen was inundated with messages of congratulations.

“It was like having a Facebook birthday all over again,” said the assistant professor of English.

Her words were apt simile for a book about dating in the digital age. After all, “The Hypothetical Girl” explores what happens when romance meets tech in chat rooms, texts, emails and instant messages.

Modern Romance and Identity

“Clearly, this book is about the state of modern romance, but it's also about our timeless fascination with identity — a weighty subject that Cohen handles with intelligence and a dash of much-needed whimsical comedy,” writes Leigh Newman in the Oprah.com review.

To prove her point, Newman mentions the story about a romance between a polar bear and a deer who meet on thosestupidhumans.com, saying the story will “unexpectedly move you, thanks to each animal's yearning — despite differences between their species.”

Review, ‘a Treat’

Cohen, who discovered the listing earlier this month, said that, at first, she didn’t know why she was receiving all of the correspondence congratulating her.

“Then, I saw the review, which was such a treat because the reviewer had obviously actually read the stories.”

The book is available for purchase at the College Store, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

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