The book the school tried to ban...

Josh Berezin, DC '01, author of Getting into Yale, a journal of his college application process, has become something of a local celebrity. He has appeared on New Haven Channel 3, on Connecticut CableVision, in Variety magazine, and on several radio shows. MTV has optioned the rights to his story. I caught up with Josh Tuesday night to ask him a few questions.

PATRICK MCGARVEY/YH Local hero Josh Berezin, DC '01.

The Yale Herald: What was it that made you decide to write a book about the college admissions process?

Josh Berezin: The whole thing kind of happened the July before my senior year. I was asking around, looking for something to do for the summer, and I got in touch with someone who's in charge of an editing firm, and had a couple of e-mail exchanges with him. After a couple of days, one of his editors called me and suggested I start keeping a journal about my life, my senior year, and the college admissions process, with the idea that maybe we could turn it into a book at some point.

YH: Could you describe the book?

JB: It's essentially just a journal from the summer before my senior year until I got into school. After some editing, it ended up being focused on the college admissions process, but it's really just a journal like anybody else's.

YH: What kind of feedback have you gotten here at Yale?

JB: At first people were surprised. Now they seem pretty excited about the whole project. All my friends are busting my chops about it, which is par for the course.

YH: Any negative comments?

JB: I've heard of people saying [the book] was stupid, but that's just secondhand.

YH: In your book, you give candid and sometimes critical descriptions of the people around you. How did they react to seeing themselves in print?

JB: At first, one or two people were upset, but I tried to warn them that it was coming out. I'm sure some would rather not have their parts of the story published for everybody in the world to see, but their feedback has been mostly positive. In one case, where I said something very negative about another student, I kept his name secret, and so far nothing's really come of that.

YH: Did you have any writing experience before writing Getting into Yale?

JB: None, outside of class exercises and stuff like that. And I'd kept a journal off and on beforehand. Very off and on. Years between entries sometimes.

YH: Do you have any writing projects planned for the future?

JB: No. We'll see what happens with this, but right now I doubt that there's gonna be a sequel.

YH: Almost two years after your last journal entry, how do you look back on your book and on your attitude at the time you were writing it?

JB: I've actually only read the journal over probably two or three times, and when I did, I wasn't really concentrating, but sometimes I cringe at how stressed out I was [at that time]. I think, "Man, I shouldn't have been so crazy about the whole thing. I should have just relaxed."

YH: Do you have an agent? A publicist?

JB: I don't even know exactly what I have. I've got two editors, two publicists, and apparently I have agents, and maybe a lawyer or two, but they kind of keep me in the dark. They don't work for me, they work for the publisher.

YH: The media has taken quite an interest in your book. What public appearances have you made?

JB: I've been on radio shows, New Haven Channel Three, Connecticut CableVision, Howard Stern...no, just kidding. Next week I have a book signing at The Yale Bookstore. It's so crazy. I don't know what the hell's going on. It's getting way out of control.

YH: How has this whole experience changed your outlook?

JB: It's made me a bitter and caustic person and I don't like people anymore. No, I'm just kidding. Here's what I've learned: you have to watch what you say, because people will pay attention.

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• Getting into Yale is available at Amazon.com