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>
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  Published by
  
  
  Dreamspinner Press
  
  
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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are
  the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
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  The Archer Copyright © 2008 Abigail Roux
  
  
  
  
  
  Cover Design by Mara McKennen
  
  
  
  
  
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