The Gulf

by Belle Boggs

A hilarious send-up of writing workshops, for-profit education, and the gulf between believers and nonbelievers

Marianne is in a slump: barely able to support herself by teaching, not making progress on her poetry, about to lose her Brooklyn apartment. When her novelist ex-fiancé, Eric, and his venture capitalist brother, Mark, offer her a job directing a low-residency school for Christian writers at a motel they’ve inherited on Florida’s Gulf Coast, she can’t come up with a reason to say no.

The Genesis Inspirational Writing Ranch is born, and liberal, atheist Marianne is soon knee-deep in applications from writers whose political and religious beliefs she has always opposed but whose money she’s glad to take. Janine is a schoolteacher whose heartfelt poems explore the final days of Terri Schiavo’s life. Davonte is a former R&B superstar who hopes to reboot his career with a bestselling tale of excess and redemption. Lorraine and Tom, eccentric writers in need of paying jobs, join the Ranch as instructors.

Mark finds an investor in God’s Word God’s World, a business that develops for-profit schools for the Christian market, but the conditions that come along with their support become increasingly problematic, especially as Marianne grows closer to the students. As unsavory allegations mount, a hurricane bears down on the Ranch, and Marianne is faced with the consequences of her decisions.

With sharp humor and deep empathy, The Gulf is a memorable debut novel in which Belle Boggs plumbs the troubled waters dividing America.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Adult Fiction, Religion, Books About Books, Southern, Contemporary

310 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2019

About the author

Belle Boggs is the author of The Gulf, a novel; the nonfiction book The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine and Motherhood; and the story collection Mattaponi Queen. She has published work in Ecotone, Orion, Ploughshares, and Harper's, among other publications. She grew up in King William County, Virginia and is Associate Professor of English at North Carolina State University.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is literally a DIVINE read – a take-no-prisoners look at the huge gulf between the Evangelists and those of little faith, playing out in the newly launched Genesis Inspirational Writing Ranch.

Marianne, a poet, never believed that she’d ever manage a writing retreat for Christians, but due to her desperate financial state, she agrees to take over the day-to-day business of choosing writers and developing a framework for the Ranch.

Belle Boggs could have gone for easy laughs here, relying on the roll-your-eyes picture of would-be writers who focus on Mormon vampire romances and pious, Pollyanna-ish collections of poetry about cancer-stricken kids. Wisely, she chooses a higher ground. One of the key adult students, Janine Gray, writes poems about Terri Schiavo but there’s an earnestness, a kindness, within her that makes her rise far above mere caricature. Similarly, Davonte Gold, an R&R star who is attempting a major comeback with a “come to Jesus” autobiography and he, too, cannot be summarily dismissed.

Rather than focus her attentions on these true-to-life aspiring writers, Belle Boggs’ target is rely the for-profit God’s World God’s Word educational conglomerate, tied to a craven politician who has hitched his wagon to the “personhood” anti-abortion star. Gradually, it falls on Marianne to resist the agenda of this conglomerate (which even offers Christian online sonogram education), which is to tear down public community education in favor of theological rigidness.

Marianne encounters a multitude of obstacles that are strewn in her path – from romantic to artistic to weather-related – that force her to deal with the consequences of her initial choice. It’s an unusually well-written book about what happens when art, faith and politics collide.

[Jessica Klahr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a really interesting concept on paper but the execution often times fell short for me. It didn’t feel like things were pushed far enough and the emotional stakes felt muted. I liked Marianne enough as a narrator, and the Janine sections were sometimes insightful, but I didn’t feel like the narrative ever got to the heart of these characters and how they were feeling. I could see the inner mechanics of the novel at work instead of having everything flow together naturally i.e. “this character needs to have this conversation to express this thing so let’s throw in this random character to get that accomplished.” This took place several times, including when Lillian decides to drive through the storm to be with the rest of the ranch because she “feels lonely at home,” Beth being brought to the ranch for some reason, and Davonte’s permanent presence on the ranch so Marianne can bounce her feelings off of him periodically. Marianne and Eric’s relationship didn’t feel real at all to me and it didn’t feel like the writing ever gave them a chance to be anything meaningful. The narrative brings up a lot of topics of the day but everything is pretty surface level and too much time was spent on the corporate Christian aspect of the story. I kept getting an inkling that Frances wasn’t real, as we don’t see her in person til 3/4 of the way through the book, and even then she’s just another emotional sounding board for Marianne. Overall, with maybe a snarkier voice or more attention paid to these characters, this book could have been less of a disappointment.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting group of characters in a very unusual plotline. I had time thankfully to finish this in one day and I was happy i did because I wanted to see where the story went.Whether or not it was intended ...the book had a lot to say about acceptance .....of yourself,your circumstances,of others who are not like you and about trying to find your place in the world.Life is pretty complex and this story goes there without being heavy.It has been a most intriguing journey to the gulf and I can honestly say I read many variations of themes but this novel is highly original . While I cannot say I always agreed with any of the particular characters viewpoint ,it was thought provoking to hear from the other side. My day was not wasted.

[max theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm biased here, because i know belle boggs and she's absolutely wonderful. but i would have found the writing in this book lovely anyway; boggs has an understated control and precision to her prose, a twistiness of language i savored ("the splay of headlights through the curtain," the description of a post-it-noted book as "stiffly ruffled" with its notes). from the first chapter, her prose carried me gently away, and the reading experience remained lovely at all times even when i was experiencing secondhand embarrassment from watching the main characters aid and abet fascism. which is, i think, a pretty good idea of this book's vibe.

other reviewers have pointed out that, while satirical, it's much gentler than it initially seems, and i agree. i was expecting a harsher, sharper look at christianity and christian writing; that's what the summary and opening pages seemed to tee up. but the book takes a turn toward a much harsher critique of for-profit writing as a concept, of the type of christianity backed by giant superpacs and anti-abortion billionaires, rather than individual christians who are sometimes a little nutty. i like this choice on the whole--it's a very the-real-war-is-class-war we-can-all-get-scammed vibe; this review breaks it down well--but it did, sometimes, trip dangerously close to centrism for me. like, no, it's not nice of marianne and eric to make a school with the semi-joking intent to take christians' money, but does that really make them AS BAD as the people trying to pass a fetal personhood bill? i'm glad people can make friendships across the aisle, but what happens when you find out your christian friend doesn't believe in gay marriage or vaccines? i would have liked to spend more time within the writing classroom of Genesis Ranch, because those scenes felt the most alive in terms of these debates about politics, art, and humanity. (and, also, humor; there's a bit about a republican writing an antichrist story about a character who is Totally Not Barack Obama, We Promise.)

still, i can forgive some gentleness, especially in our current troubled times. i was startled by how much i connected to janine specifically, even if she's a character whose opinion about gay marriage i would have to ask--she's very well-drawn and compelling even in her silliness, and if you put me in a room with her for a few hours i think i could get her to support trans rights. davonte was also a favorite, even if i think his plotline gets dropped a little in the ending scramble (give him another POV chapter!) marianne is not likeable; there was a bit in the middle where i quite hated her, actually, not because of any specific concessions she makes to the christian right wing but because everything about her seems motivated by selfishness. then again, everything about her is also motivated by a deep loneliness, a pervasive sense of lost hope in the idea of ever doing anything with her life--which, ouch--and also the men in her life are so hateable that i came back around to her by sheer virtue of comparison. #misandry #yes

and, y'know! books to read in the first semester of one's own grad school! books to read as you try to make a life in the arts! books to read in a new city where you've never lived and know only people from your school!

"'I've been here since September,' [Marianne] said, drawing her knees up to her chest. 'And it is lonely, but I expected that. New York was lonely too. I thought if it felt more like I was choosing the loneliness, if it was deliberate, it wouldn't be so bad. It would feel heroic, maybe. That's what I'm waiting for.'"

y'know! etc! so forth! and overall this was very fun to read in an airport, and made me snicker a number of times, and isn't that the best one can ask for in the midst of rising christofascism! cheers.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter what your politics or religion may be, take a chance and read this novel. It gave me hope and made me rethink how I view people who I may disagree with on many things. A nice surprise and highly recommended.

[Alyson Hagy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m still absorbing the many subtleties and delights of this novel. Its send up of writing programs and for-profit educational institutions is wickedly funny. I laughed and laughed. Yet the book is generous on the topics of faith, family and friendship. Boggs doesn’t take short cuts with her characters or their motives. Her sense of comedy is outstanding, and her heart is large. The Gulf rolls right along; it’s splendidly written. But it also gave me much to think about. I can’t wait to recommend it to my book club.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's interesting, not my usual genre, but definitely interesting. It's unlike anything I have ever read, and that made it quite enjoyable. I am a big fan of originality and The Gulf by Belle Boggs has it in spades.
My copy of this book was obtained from a Goodreads giveaway and I appreciate the opportunity to read & review it.

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a different and interesting story this was. A Christian writing school started by a non-Christian who needs a job and attracts Christians to her hotel-turned-school. Where is the funding coming from? When she learns that the funding is coming from a Christian with strong opinions different from her own, how will she handle the situation? There are lots of relationship issues between her, the other owners (one an ex-fiance), the students, the teachers, the media, etc. "Different" and "interesting" are what come to mind. Enjoyable too.

[Vincent Scarpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book is this much fun.

[Campbell Andrews]

I pick up a lot of books, but most I put back down. The Gulf made it home with me because, as a writer and a Christian, I was intrigued by its promised mix of culture, humor, and religion. These are elements I attempt to juggle in my own work.

A dozen pages and I'm steeling myself to finish, despite my misgivings. Three dozen and I've had it. Whatever insight may be found in these pages—and, based on what I've read, I suspect it's not much—I do not have the patience to endure another 270 pages of the same. There are too many better-crafted books to read.

Should we fault more the writer, or the want of a conscientious editor? I actually visited the publisher's website to divine the likelihood this manuscript benefitted from much more than spellcheck. Regardless, if we writers do not hold ourselves to the highest standard, who will? Same as it ever was, I suppose.

Lest you think I generalize, some distracting offenses of 36 pages:

Errors/typos: it is not "the New Yorker" because the magazine is not "New Yorker." I canceled my subscription 5 years ago but I almost can't fathom a writer allowing this mistake, inadvertent or not.

Redundancies: "deflated tires she managed to mostly inflate" typifies the level of writing. Careless construction abounds; Ms. Boggs seems not to know from succinct. Brevity being the soul of wit, her 'style' here is dispiriting. Especially deadly to what is clearly meant as a comedy.

Inconsistencies: the main character Skypes with her ex, then a couple pages later she's running upstairs to answer her old, ringing telephone / on 34 they're recounting college French and a character remarks he "hardly remembers anything from college," like it was ages ago; on 36, "graduation loomed." / when the dilapidated Jetta is introduced, its radio is stuck on static; next trip, its driver finds herself listening to conservative talk radio.

For me, endemic carelessness makes a book impassable; its plot and characters will go uncritiqued here, as abandoning The Gulf leaves me short of evidence to confirm my suspicions. I shudder to think how many more road blocks I might have encountered in its remaining 90%. In declining to finish, I also spare a book an unsparing rating.

[Mary McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

A radical concept for two struggling writers ends up delving into some timely issues.
The Gulf by Belle Boggs begins with the opening of a school for Christian writers in a defunct hotel on the Florida gulf. What starts out as somewhat of a scam ends up bringing together a group of people and creating a community of aspiring writers. As funds are depleted and investors are accused of wrongdoings, like the approaching hurricane, will the school survive??
Loved the diverse and developed characters as much as the issues addressed.
Will be a great book club choice when released in April.
Thanks to Graywolf for the advanced copy.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book! It's full of humor, empathy and the human struggle when faced with the consequences of our actions. Boggs does an excellent job of developing the characters and weaving them into the story.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure where i heard of this book, but the premise interested me enough that it was on my Christmas list and I received a copy from one of my sons. This was a perfect read after a couple of heavy books. Marianne Stuart is living a struggling poet's life in NYC when her ex-fiancee calls to offer her a job in Florida running a low residency program for Christian writers (or writers who write Christian themed literature). This was totally entertaining while Marianne realizes as an atheist, she has trouble with all the religious aspects as well as a problem with the right wing nut group of investors. Set in a run down motel on the Gulf of Mexico, this is a great summer read, or maybe a middle of the winter read if you are looking for something warm.

[Ivana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quirky book with a serious message. I loved he main character and could relate to her... and I love books like that. Plus, I always like when authors depict Florida accurately. Really enjoyed it.:)

[Jordan Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was shelved on my tbr list because belle boggs teaches at my university and i truly believe in reading what those around you write. and it did not disappoint.

this book was bizarre and complicated, at times baffling and confusing, chaotic, heart wrenching, infuriating, and at certain points hard to read. but it was perfect and alive with the characters and hopeful and truly such a wonderful ride.

[Dirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who have taught or otherwise attended writing workshops, The Gulf will be a pleasurable read by an author who usually manages to strike a curious balance between cutting wit that surgically eviscerates her subjects and a warm second take that embraces them. I use the qualifier "usually", because the narrative is presented through the point of view of the character Marianne, who, like the author, teaches writing. Although Marianne enters the writing workshop with decided biases against the attitudes of Christian writers, she cannot help recognizing in them the shared concerns of many writers: the inherent loneliness of the craft, the inability of non-writers to understand the what and how of the writing process, the fear of rejection, and the anxiety and self-doubt that makes them question themselves and their abilities along the way, the measurement against others who are successful. Marianne shifts from the easy caricature of satire to a more fuller-dimensioned recognition of the humanity of the workshop members with whom she shares her experiences. They become like family to her and, like family, the members can be very different one from another and display characteristics that are sometimes endearing, exasperating, tiresome, troubling, uplifting or despairing in many and various degrees, but in the end they are brothers and sisters, although related by choice and inclination, and there is something of Marianne in all of them and something of them in Marianne. Ink, like blood, is thicker than water. And indelible. It leaves its mark.

It is this aspect of The Gulf in which Belle Boggs follows Hemingway's advice: write what you know. And she does it well. However, there is a second cluster of characters who orbit the workshop and are part of an investment group for whom writing is at best secondary and at worst inessential to the goal of making money. They are thinly and darkly drawn and remain that way throughout the novel, and while good writers can fool some of their readers all of the time, readers who have much experience with investment bankers or private equity firms will be quick to recognize that the author is writing what she doesn't know; successful investors do not become successful by throwing money into freshly minted start-ups that have no operational history, questionable intellectual capital, and a balance sheet in the red from day one. The investors are human, but barely so, and remain largely one-dimensional throughout the novel. Still, the author often hits her mark in this regard, but it's because the target is too easy.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart, incisive, troubling, and fun

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Nicely written, with great little pockets of humor. Well realized characters.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong debut novel that threads the needle of incisive satire and compassionate treatment of flawed people, this takes on for-profit education, Christian corporatism/capitalism, and the gulf between political poles in the U.S. leading up to the 2016 election.

[Beverly Garside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many college students and graduates face the same fear - that after graduation we will be unable to establish ourselves in a profession. The prospect living in our childhood bedrooms, drifting aimlessly between odd-jobs, and fielding constant barbs of "you majored in WHAT?" haunt our nightmares. This is what made reading "The Gulf" a bit painful at first, because it is that nightmare personified. We see Marianne with a Masters in Fine Arts and an elephant's weight in debt, still drifting aimlessly in her 30's while her friends have jobs, spouses, homes, and kids.
Marianne is not like the typical liberal arts graduate. While most of us end up finding our niche in the world, albeit with a bit more struggle, Marianne chose the conceit of academe. She firmly believes that taking any actual job -- outside of teaching at the university level-- is a concession of failure and a fall from the ivory tower into the ranks of the great unwashed. Thus it's hard to feel sympathy for her. She has no plan-B for failing to become a renowned and wealthy poet. She is ashamed that she actually did a brief stint teaching at an elementary school. And she turned down a marriage proposal from a man she loved because his dream of an ordinary life was not good enough for her.
As the story progresses, however, it is refreshing to see Marianne grow. As an administrator at a for-profit, uncertified start-up school for evangelical writers, she is tasked with helping the very people she despises. While she is repulsed by their religion and their politics, the prospect of scamming them out of their money and exploiting their dreams strikes her as worse. She is forced to confront moral choices, temptation, greed, and her own dissolute choices right as a hurricane bears down on the school.
"The Gulf" is a story of redemption that kept me enthralled to the very end.

[Ed Maher · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the recent death of a family member, I found myself surrounded by a lot of really good people who just happened to be Christians. Not one myself, I’m usually on guard in such situations. Perhaps my grief allowed me to be less judgmental. I’m grateful for that because the love and kindness that were shown to me helped me through a difficult situation. The fact that I was trying to read The Gulf during this period may have been a sign itself. Seriously.

The Gulf may be better than 3 stars. It took me forever to read, but that’s understandable given my circumstance. Fundamentally, it’s about the separation between Believers and Non-Believers. It’s a gentle satire that arrives at an extremely profound conclusion; as human beings we all need to give each other the benefit of the doubt. No matter who we think we are, stereotyping is a danger that provides no answers. I look forward to this author’s next book.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really I think I'd give this a 4-1/2 star rating. (I only give 5 stars to the very very few books I know I will want to read again and perhaps over & over.) I loved this. There are so many juxtapositions in this novel. It is both topical and timeless, and it even-handedly contrasts believers and nonbelievers, active and the passive-aggressive people, humanities (represented by poets and writers) and the business world, idealists and cynics, the way women communicate vs. men, and on and on. It is not kind (nor should it be) to shysters or business people who take advantage of the beliefs of others in order to get rich. The characters are believable and mostly sympathetic, the plot is absorbing, and it has a hopeful (but not a naively happily-ever-after) ending. Throw in a couple of hurricanes, and what's not to like? Writers & English majors especially will get a kick out of it.

[Theresa Southam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure. Confused? Yes I am. I expected a clear critique of Christian fundamentalism and naivety after reading the back cover of this book. Yet this was more a critique of the finger pointers, i.e. "America has gone wrong because of them" when in fact the moral confusion in this book is laid at the feet of a liberal New York dwelling poet. Marianne lets greed and superiority get in the way. Who moral upper ground is mighty soggy and groundless as time goes by until at the end one wonders where or if she will get a moral footing or fulfilling life in this life.

I wanted to give this book three stars, but realize that this book will quiet my own finger pointing and for that reason it receives four stars. Any book that unsettles generalizations, unsupported claims, and loosely supported moralities deserves recognition. And its an entertaining read!

[Olivia Loving · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely Florida novel. Written so carefully and in such a way/style that it took me a while to work my way around the sentences -- a quality that I grew to like.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, full-hearted, and beautiful. Does a smart job of not just being a bog standard “teacher ultimately ends up being the learner” story.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.danscanon.com/2020/03/the-...

[Margo Littell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marianne is a poet living in New York City, but her life holds little of the romantic cliche. She’s burned out from teaching, her writing has stalled, and she’s being evicted from her apartment. So when her ex-fiance, Eric, offers her a job, she’s not in a position to refuse. She’ll have a salary, a place to live, and time to write. The catch: she’ll be creating a low-residency writing program for Christian writers, in Florida. Marianne is an atheist, but Eric brushes off Marianne’s hesitation. When she arrives at the motel that will be their writing school, Marianne’s worst fears are confirmed--and then some. She discovers that the source of the school’s funding is a controversial group called God’s Word God’s World (GWGW), which has distasteful plans that have little to do with creative writing. Marianne finds herself aligned with what she views as the worst of humanity. When a hurricane hits, she faces an epic personal reckoning.

Marianne doesn’t hide her disdain for her Christian students and their earnest, terrible writing, but the novel gains depth and emotional punch when she finds she can’t sustain her derision. The writers she meets are kind and genuine, and it’s her fondness for the group--and her unwillingness to be manipulated by Eric and GWGW--that forces her to take the reins of her life. The Gulf is strange and funny, and Boggs brings together the odd subcultures of Florida and for-profit schools and Christian-focused marketing to show that community can flourish even in the eye of a political and religious storm.

***Review originally written for the City Book Review. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

[Jo Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite strongly disliking the main character for most of the book, I enjoyed the story. At first I thought it would be odd, like Karen Russells Swamplandia! but as offbeat as The Gulf was, it never reached that level of strange. (If you haven't, give Swamplandia a read. Well worth it!)
Marianne is a poet, teaching and trying to write, in Brooklyn. She's unhappy, whiny and yeah, I nicknamed her "Debbie Downer." When she learns her apartment building is being turned into condos, she panics. She doesn't have the money to buy it. Luckily, her 30 minute fiancé, Eric and his brother Mark offer her a job--to move to Florida and open up a writing school in their aunt's old motel on the beach on Florida's Gulf Coast. The original idea had been Marianne's (a liberal and atheist) and had been offered in sarcasm--they would open up a Christian writing school. With nowhere else to go, Marianne takes the job. The motel is a dump, Marianne has her nose in the air over the writers sending in applications, but then the school opens and Marianne starts taking a liking to some of the earnest students.
Unfortunately the school is running out of money and a big name Christian company that owns Christian for-profit schools, steps in at the behest of the brothers. As if that isn't bad enough, they are affiliated with a right wing conservative politician who is touting an anti-abortion reform that grants "personhood" to fetuses. (The book was published in 2019 so the story is quite relevant to our time of 2022.)
Marianne just gets whinier and more annoying and while I, a lefty liberal, totally agree with her, I still couldn't stand her.
Then a hurricane comes ashore and Marianne is trapped with some of the students. I can't say anymore without spoilers, so if you like offbeat, or have a dream of becoming a writer, this would be a book for you.

[Tiya Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was saving this book for the summer, and I'm glad I did. The Gulf features a wildly unusual and creative scenario that takes some getting used to at first. Two of the main characters (graduates of MFA programs in poetry and fiction) launch a writing retreat for spiritual and Christian writers on a lark, and the story follows the development of unexpected, tense, and life-changing relationships among the politically progressive (and often cynical) founders and teachers and the earnest (and often traditional) students. No matter what side of the political spectrum they fall on, all of these characters are searching for self-understanding and attempting to move beyond past missteps and pain. Suspense enters the story when a corporate Christian angle creeps in, and when the faded, Florida coastal setting presents its own challenges for the characters. The novel felt to me to be both farcical and serious at once, and by the end it was reading like a thriller. I agree with the reviewers here who note that those who have attended writing workshops or retreats will feel a special connection to this book and its characters.

[Carol]

I have this pet peeve that I'm not particularly proud of, but there it is. It doesn't seem to be going away, either. When I read a modern book, and the word 'splayed' is used, particularly near the beginning, I generally want to throw the book across the room. In The Gulf 'splayed' shows up in the first paragraph. So right away, I had trouble committing to the book.

But I'm having a hard summer, reading mostly Agatha Christie (whom, I believe, never, ever used the word 'splayed'), and I was hoping to move into a slightly more challenging book with this one. So I persevered all the way to the end of chapter one. At that point I was just tired of the whole thing. I skipped to chapter 22, near the end, to see if there was anything that would make me want to go back and keep reading. There, on p. 295, 'splayed' appeared again, and any twinge of guilt for not finishing the book vanished.

Pages 28 to 292 may be fascinating and wonderful. Don't allow my idiosyncrasies stop you from reading this book...