Tom's Foolery — Robert Smith

A funny, sometimes wacky novel about a 40-year old Professor at a small public university. Tom fancies himself as quite a cook and wine-lover and these interests are woven into the plot. At his university he is coerced into accepting the job as Department Chairman which would leave him less time for his real interests of teaching, cooking, wine tasting and painting. His Dean wants him to force three aging professor from the l970's into retirement but he finds out that the Dean is a philanderer and Tom decides to try and oust him instead. Meanwhile his 16 year-old daughter is beginning to date an unusual young man and he fears his wife may be having an affair. Humorous situations arise as he tries to sort out his complicated life.
The author spent many years teaching at a university not unlike the one in the novel---minus the lecherous Dean. After his retirement he worked in several tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma as well as pursuing interests not unlike Tom's...