The Princeton University book club

Alexander Pope released his magnum opus "An Essay on Criticism" at the tender age of 23. But God went to Princeton, so we're not going to let him show up Old Nassau, will we? Not if Daphne Oz '08, T.J. Williams '08 and Thu-Huong Ha '10 have anything to say about it, that is. These three writers are each publishing their debut works well before their 23rd birthdays.

Oz's just-released book, "The Dorm Room Diet," is an approachable and readable overview of the unique challenges faced by girls who arrive at college petrified by the looming specter of the Freshman 15. Much of the information contained in the book also applies to a male diet. Oddly, though, I experienced little success when I followed Daphne's advice by treating my pesky PMS with chasteberry. Daphne, I still feel crampy and irritable — let's get some fact-checking next time.

Oz says her goal was to present the nutritional and dietary information already available to college-age girls in a more digestible writing style. The book's main message is simple: "Substitution when you can, moderation when you can't." In other words, it's a great idea to replace that hefty slice of cake with a handful of strawberries ... unless it's your best friend's birthday cake. In that case, you're probably going to feel horribly antisocial if you abstain. Oz's message is not to avoid fatty foods completely. Instead, her tips focus on limiting such treats to the appropriate times, places and quantities.

Oz's efforts to tailor this book for college-age girls are evident in her chosen writing style. Her relaxed prose simultaneously appeals to the reader with the authority of someone who knows about nutrition and the sympathy of a friend who has been there before.

The latter quality is no accident. Indeed, Oz relates her own struggle with weight issues. And she does so with balls, ladies and gentlemen: she has the rocks to describe her childhood-self as resembling a "beached whale." This kind of candor pervades the book and helps the author gain credence in the eyes of the reader. Oz shies away from no topic, addressing everything from the temptation of late-night pizza (only a phone call away) to the challenges of eating healthy on a strict budget (she wisely notes that spending more money on healthier food now can be viewed as a great way to avoid expensive and rather unpleasant heart surgeries later in life). As a whole, the book is unassuming, well-written and singularly real. Rather than a publicity stunt or moneymaking idea, this is the honest advice of a student who has overcome her own weight issues and genuinely desires to help other young women do the same.

What's next for the Near Eastern Studies major? She is contemplating a workbook companion to "The Dorm Room Diet," and is also considering further work in the field of nutrition.

Writing in a completely different vein from diet advice, Ha will release her first novel, "Hail Caesar," this coming January. This debut has been lovingly crafted since four years ago, when Ha won a novel contest for promising teen fiction writers, sponsored by Scholastic. A Jersey native like Oz, Ha describes her work as a "boy meets girl with (possible?) redemption" story.

Ha also noted her book's similarities to the popular film "Cruel Intentions." The story chronicles the exploits of "a big a—hole who has a lot of sex." In this case, our Sebastian is nicknamed Caesar by his friends.

I pressed Ha about the comparison to "Cruel Intentions." "So exactly how much girl-on-girl action can we expect in your novel?" The delightful Ms. Ha responded, "After I finished it, I realized that girls making out was the one thing missing from my book. That and cocaine. And Kevin Bacon." Well, I for one am still going to make a point of reading the book; if Ms. Ha nailed every other aspect of teenage angst, excitement and enticing erotic situations other than those listed above, it sounds to me like "Hail Caesar" could turn out to be an unholy, orgiastic cross between "The Wonder Years" and "10 Things I Hate about You." Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the book's January release.

Unlike Oz, Ha plans to pursue a career in creative writing. Now working toward an English and Creative Writing degree at Princeton, she is considering writing novels full-time after graduation. Otherwise, Ha says, she might go back to school for a doctorate that she could eventually use to become a professor of creative writing. Her immediate goal is to start work on a new novel this summer. She hasn't yet decided on its subject.

Unlike the two female authors, Williams freely admits that his main motivation for writing "5 Minutes and 42 Seconds" was the money.

At the heart of Williams' debut novel is an exploration of homosexuality in the black community. Specifically, the author examines the phenomenon of the "down low", a term which refers to an ostensibly straight black man, with a wife or girlfriend, who also engages in sexual activities with men in his free time.

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Williams' writing style is unique. Using blunt prose, he switches between third person limited narrators and first-person "confessional" speakers. The result is raw and effective. This might not be the book to buy for your little sister's sweet 16 party; give her a couple extra years to grow up and encounter choice four-letter words in the real world before she's introduced to them in Williams' book.

Williams splits time between Princeton and New York, where he is currently working on "a treatment for a TV series for a network." When I pressed him for more details, he clammed up, explaining that he shouldn't comment on his works-in-progress.

Completely overstepping the bounds of time-management sanity, each of these young authors has made a mark, and they haven't even graduated from college yet. To all of you aspiring authors out there, just take a look at Daphne, Thu-Huong and T.J., and keep in mind the wise words of our dearly departed 900-year-old green Jedi master: "Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."