title: Personals: Dreams and Nightmares from the Lives of 20 Young Writers
author:  Thomas Beller 
description: Despite what one might surmise from the subtitle of <i>Personals</i>, it is not a collection of dreams and nightmares but of personal essays by 20 variously gifted young writers. Editor Thomas Beller's mandate to his contributors, most of whom are under 30, was to "find something that matters to you and write a story about it." Too many of these writers live in New York City and too many are annoyingly self-indulgent (and editorially indulged). But much of what they write about--desperately seeking to lose one's virginity, life during and after a heroin addiction, dating in the electronic age, dropping out of Wesleyan, the effects of a rootless childhood, straddling two cultures, working as an overeducated bagel-store employee--is interesting because of what it reveals about our times. And several of the essays--in particular Bliss Broyard's "My Father's Daughter"--are genuinely thoughtful and affecting. <i>--Jane Steinberg</i>
zlib_text: ![](Images/image00081.jpeg)
  
  By Katharine E. Hamilton
  
  ISBN-13: 978-1-7358125-4-0
  
  **Lawrence**
  
  Copyright © 2020 by Katharine E. Hamilton
  
  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or
  utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic,
  mechanical or other means, now known or hereinafter invented, including
  xerography, photocopying, and recording, or in any information storage or
  retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of Katharine E.
  Hamilton.
  
  [**www.katharinehamilton.com**](http://www.katharinehamilton.com)
  
  Cover Design by Kerry Prater.
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either
  the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously, and any
  resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events
  or locales is entirely coincidental.
  
  To Brad.
  
  Because I just love you more and more every day, and that’s super cool.
  
  **Acknowledgments**
  
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  Th